


Elerrina

by Alohomora92



Series: Almarëa [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/M, Family, Fluff, Magic, Mystery, Rings of Power, Rivendell, Tragedy, Vilya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:05:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 109,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3293129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alohomora92/pseuds/Alohomora92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raised by a woman in a small village of men, she had never seen an elf other than herself. Yet when she runs into the path of two identical dark-haired and silvered- eyed elves and tragedy strikes one more, things start to change fast and drastically. What many things she did not know about herself? Who is she? and more so, Why can she see the fascinating blue-stonned upon a certain Elf-Lord's hand, whispering to her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The sun was hiding behind the mountains, painting the sky bright red, its last rays already fading, leaving the earth to the darkness of the night. A great silence fell upon the lands, as if the world itself lamented the tragedy that had taken place that day. The dying sun stained the cloudless mantle in the bright crimson of blood, blood that had spilled innocently. She could feel the soft breeze brushing against her skin, drifting with it hollow cries of torturous pain and sorrow for those who had left the world to join the mourning souls in death.

It felt cold. The icy wind made her skin almost ache. But this was a different kind of coldness: coldness of death. She looked at her surroundings feeling her agonizing heart skip a beat as she slowly made her way through the deep forest. Grey trees rose tall to the sky, the red light of the fading sun making them look hollow in the dark shadows, tall black ghosts that branched and webbed in eternal suffering. Corpses laid spread on the ground; their eyes staring blankly at the sky, some of them still with a pained expression upon their faces. Both elves and orcs laid dead on the cold earth. The red and black blood spilled among them, elven and orc as one pool of bright liquid.

Naeraviel took a hand to her mouth stifling a chocked cry. She could felt the sorrow in the atmosphere, the pain, the suffering. The air was heavy and she had a knot in her throat, making it harder to inhale breath. How many had died innocently in that battle. How many lay dead on the ground, their souls already gone to the world of the dead, eternally abandoning this forsaken cruel world. None of them would ever see the sun rising again in the horizon; none of them would see the stars shining at nights again. 

Tears prickled in her eyes and she found it hard not to cry as she saw that not only warriors had been victims of the battle. There were ladies among them. Their long rich dresses muddied and ripped, the jewels incrusted in many of them still shimmering bright at the last rays of daylight, ever beautiful, ever hard and cold, ever lifeless.

From what she could guess the elves had been ambushed by the orcs while traveling somewhere. She could see many ornate wooden chests spilled messily around, the precious items inside scattered as raggedly as the lifeless bodies. The battle had taken place just hours ago, the blood was still fresh.

The nearby village where she lived had heard the commotion, as if the wind had made an effort to cry for help, and the men had rushed to aid the injured but found none. And yet they encountered just the scene she was seeing now. They arrived too late, nobody still drew breath. They had gone back to the village with heavy hearts, dragging their feet on their way, but she had stayed behind.

Naeraviel had never seen elves before. She had always imagined the moment. She imagined herself looking at those majestic creatures full of eternal grace. Elves were not meant to die. For her, elves had always been a symbol of life and glory, they were immortal. But now, looking at them dead, all sign of life gone fromm them made her heart grieve.

A soft cry was brought by the wind. Naeraviel stopped in her march, suddenly listening to the sound. It was unmistakably the soft wail of a baby. For a moment she felt her heart starting to beat again, panic rushing through her veins as she frantically listened and searched the source of the cry. It came from some bushes at her left. Quickly she made her way there, kneeling on the damp earth, not even noticing as her brown worn dress got stained on the process. Behind the thick green leaves laid a baby wrapped in a white silken blankets, the fabric of richness that her own eyes had never even seen. The baby stopped her wailing the second she saw Naeraviel, fat silver tears streaming down her prays cheeks.

Without thinking it twice she picked the baby in her arms, careful to keep the protective blanket around, as if fearing the cold night air could harm this precious sign of life. The tinny form of the little girl comforted her heart somehow. A tinny form of life among the dead.

She took a look at the child. It was elven. Her few golden locks shined at the fading light of the day and a pair of bright green eyes stared deeply back at her.

"Have faith young one." She said more to herself that the child for she doubted that the little girl could understand what she said. "You were blessed with life when others were forced to leave us forever. Although cursed for you lost everything you had today. Unfortunate child who was chosen to see what would cause her grieve and pain for the rest of her life."

She sat on the ground placing the squirming child in her lap. In the standards of men the young girl could have any one year old baby. "You'll be brave little one." The child looked up at her at the sound of her voice, those oblivious deep green eyes making her heart fill with sorrow. The child was too young to understand anything of what was happening. 

"Nana!" The baby suddenly exclaimed, her deep green eyes searching around her as her tiny fingers went into her mouth. Naeraviel felt the knot in her throat tighten. She could not tell what word meant, she did not know the tongue of elves, but she oddly understand that a child this young would only be able to say essential words. It either was mother or father. She let her own eyes scan the sea of corpses lying motionlessly around her, trying to find anyone who might have been related to the child. 

And it did not take her long to look. There, not too far away from where she had found the baby lay the pale corpse of a beautiful elven lady. Her golden locks, identical to the child's ones, fell lifelessly on the ground, her green eyes staring blankly at the sky: Dead.

"Nana!" Called the child again, although her eyes had not seemed to find the place corpse yet, and she shielded the child's face with a hand. The child didn't know death, she didn't know that her mother would never talk to her again, never again would she hold the child in her arms and comfort her. she had passed away.

"Come here, child" Said Naeraviel picking up the child again and rocking her slightly.

"Your mother is not coming back, little one" She spoke. Her voice braking and more tears running down her cheeks. "She left. She's not coming back."

The little girl raised her tinny hands to Naeraviel's face patting curiously at her cheeks. The child could not understand. A small laugh left Naeraviel's lips at the gesture. Such innocence, so much still to see, to learn, and she had no idea that her world had suddenly been snatched from her in a single dreaded afternoon. She found she couldn't leave the baby there.

"You need a home," She said. "and a name." The green eyes stared at her again. Then she made a choice. She would not take the child to Argala, she would not entrust this already cursed girl to the woman who fostered already more than then orphans in the small village. No. She would raise her as her own, show her all the love her parents could have shown her if they had lived. Luckily she would forget the tragic events of that day and would be able to live happily and untroubled.

" What do you say about going home with me? I can find you something to eat and drink" the baby girl inclined her head to one side a confused looked in her eyes.

She held the peaceful baby closer to her body. Night had already fallen; she saw the stars bright in the black sky, showing their light to the world.

"You need a name." She said to the child, thinking out loud. And she knew that whichever name she chose would never make justice to the elven name the child had been given at birth. But she could not guess a name, she would have to make up a new one. At the silver light from the shimmering stars the green eyes of the girl shined with a beauty that could not be described by words, green as the living forest. Her golden locks shined as fit the stars form the heavens had been placed on her head like a crown. How beautiful was the child, she had never seen something so graceful. The it occurred to her, the perfect name for the blessed child.

"You'll be Elerrina: 'Crowned with stars'"


	2. A Strange Meeting

She pulled a loose strand of her golden hair back from her behind her ear. The afternoon sun was already hiding far in the horizon and the gentle wind whispered softly in her ears in tis won secret language, singing, muttering. She had been waiting for the sunset to come. Every sunset she would allow herself to wonder in the endless woods, drifting away from her home, from her troubles, form everything.

A few fallen branches cracked underneath her feet, the grass rustling against the hem of her long worn dress. Nobody ever understood why she walked in the forest every sunset, but she had long ago stop trying to explain herself. For them it was just to walk among tall trees, with nothing to see, nothing to hear, alone. But she was not like them. She had never been like them. It had been hard to be the different one, the one who would never blend in, the one who could never fully belong. She was an elf...and they were human. She remembered not knowing the difference, not understanding the looks and pointing fingers that every stranger who stopped in their village gave in her direction: why did they think her different from the other children? What was wrong with her? But it had become clearer as she grew older. 

After all, she had been raised the same way a human child would be raised, performed the same chores, played their same games. She was one of them now. And her mother would yell and glare at anyone who dared tell her she was different, that she did not belong there. She had often told her whenever she would return him crying that the only difference between her and any other child was her pointed ears. But she knew it was not.

The warm breeze toyed with her long strands of her, making the skirts of her dress press against her legs, the smell of fresh bark and green leaves swirling in the calm air. Here she could enjoy the gifts of being an elf, the reason why she would forever remain different. Here she could hear the trees whispering and singing things they would never hear, she could talk to them, laugh with them, never understanding their language and yet understanding what they said. They would call to her, whisper her name in the soft dancing wind in an eerily beautiful collection of voices.Here, alone, she could hear the melancholic song of the river as its waters were drawn away with the current, prancing, twirling, splashing. She could see life in what they thought lifeless. 

But something felt different this evening.

Everything was unnaturally quiet and still, even the breeze was devoid of the usual warm whispers, as if the trees around her had suddenly grown mute. But then even the wind stopped, and a different kind of whisper brushed agains her ears, making her stop in her walks, listening. It was a warning, urgent...danger. 

Her deep green eyes scanned her surroundings, stopping in every tree, in every bush, her heart suddenly drumming inside her chest. She had never heard this call before, she did not know that to expect, what to do. Danger was near, and coming nearer and nearer. And then her instinct kicked in, her feet moving before she could even command them, and without thinking it twice she started to run, run as far as she could. Her light footsteps barely left a track line behind her, and the crackling and ruffling of fallen leaves underneath her running feet felt suddenly too loud, quickly turning left and right and rounding the thick trunks and-

"MOVE!" A voice suddenly exclaimed, something large and black flying in front of eyes, and she fell backwards, a scream leaving her lips.

A dark horse stood on its rear legs, furiously waving the front ones in the air just above her head. She closed her eyes shut, throwing her hands over her head, and attempting to crawl back and away but only managed to ungracefully wriggle on the dirt. And it was for the first time that she noticed that a man had jumped down from the horse, whispering something in a language that she could not understand, frantically attempting to calm the frightening animal. It seemed as if he had been forced to stop abruptly so he wouldn't kill her by running over her.

"What were you doing! Are you hurt?" The stranger snapped at he and she opened her mouth to answer but the man did not give her the chance for he was already mounting again in a swift move, so quick her eyes barely even saw it, a long cloak swinging behind him. He seemed to be in a hurry. Finally regaining her breath, she stood up from where she had fallen, shaking her hands to get rid of the dirt and leaves the thad stuck to it. 

She opened her mouth, but words never left her lips, an arrow suddenly flying past one of the stranger's ears missing it by inches.

She froze, her body turning cold. The sound of approaching heavy metal boots reached her ears another arrow flying past them this time alarmingly close to her face. She couldn't move, it was as if if her legs had suddenly rooted to the humid earth as deeply as the surrounding trees, her body turned to stone. More arrows started were flying their way, seeming to materialize out of thin air, swooshing past her ears, arms, dress. And then, there were fowl creatures emerging from the heavy foliage, appearing from behind nearby trees holding twisted swords and blackened bows. 

Then everything happened so fast, her heart hammering so loudly inside her chest that she felt it would jump out. The man suddenly drew out a long silver sword too quickly for her to see, and she felt herself being abruptly lifted from the ground, her body thrown carelessly to sit on the nervous horse. She drew in a sharp breath, her fingers curling around the animal's dark silky mane, not knowing where else to grab in order to hold herself from falling. She turned her head in a fast move, her eyes momentarily watching the man who had lifted her swinging his sword one-handedly, as if the heavy metal weighted nothing at att. 

And they were moving, running, the rushed gallop of the horse making her body jump and be forcefully pushed this way and that, her fingers curling around the dark mane tighter, holding for her life. The trees flew past them in a sickening maze of green and she had to duck many times in order to avoid her head from being smacked agains the lower branches. The creatures were still behind them, she could hear their blood curling snarls, the sound of there heavy boots, fear tightening her stomach in a painful knot. More and more had started to appear next to them, coming from their hiding spots behind the trees, from every direction, smashing bushes with their twisted curved swords. 

She saw the man behind her swing his sword, the deformed head of one of the creatures twirling trough the air. He swung it again and again killing as many as he could, seeming to be faster than them, but they were too many. They were everywhere, and they were closing in around them, coming closer and closer until she was able to read what they were trying to do. But to her surprise he had already found out as well. They were trapped, surrounded from every side. She closed her eyes tightly, wishing and tricking herself into believing that if she could not see it then it was not real. If only it were as simple as that...

"Hold tight." The stranger whispered in one of her ears and the next second the horse jumped abruptly to one side, knocking many creatures in the move. The sudden move threw her body in the air, and she tangled her fingers on the horse's mane, trying to grab onto anything, but a strong arm had suddenly wrapped around her waist, quickly preventing her from being thrown off the running animal. 

She opened her eyes once more, only to find out that they ran now away from the main road and into the depths of the forest, always deeper and deeper, all sorts of alarms suddenly ringing inside her head. For a second she could almost hear her mother's voice warring her inside her head 'stay on the road. always stay on the road'. 

She could hear the creatures trying to follow but without the clearing of the road it was harder for them too keep up the pace, the trees becoming denser. And yet the horse - or the man steering it- seems to know how to precisely dodge every tree, every branch, narrowly missing them all with surprising ease. Some low branches hit her face and she could not see where were they going for the trees where too close from one another and there was barely a way to run among them. She did not know how long they ran, or how far they were now from the main road, she only noticed that after what felt like a lifetime she could no longer hear anything behind them and she knew they had lost the creatures. But she also was unable to see where they were. How could she ever get back?

After a few more long minutes the man finally stopped the horse, and she once gain let her eyes scan her surroundings. If only she could know where the river was she could follow it back to the village. And still she found not river, but an open small clearing, the trees suddenly spacing out, allowing the deep red sky to finally become visible once more. 

"We lost them." The stranger's deep voice said as he jumped from the horse in a single graceful move, offering her a hand. She took it cautiously and allowed him to help her down the now peacefully standing animal. 

"They were too many, and unusually heading west. I ignore what their purpose is, if there is any, or who sent them. They do not usually travel in this direction." He continued, and for the first time, now finally able to breathe properly, she allowed herself to properly look at him. His long dark hair, as dark as a moonless night, fell down his back, longer than she had ever seen, and she could see he had steely grey eyes, piercing at her like sharp blades. He was the strangest man she had ever encountered, and it made her uncomfortably uneasy. 

"Take me home" she managed to speak, surprised at the sure and steady sound of her voice. She was still trembling with fear on the inside, her mind still trying to assimilate what had just happened. It was too much to process. She only knew that she had nearly gotten killed, and now she was in the middle of the forest with a total stranger who looked like no other man she had ever seen. And she could not find the river.

"And risking getting in their way again? I do not think so. It is better if we remain here for the night. You will survive it." He spoke, not seeming to be paying too much attention to her, steely silver eyes not even looking gin her direction. He was walking around, ducking at times to pick something from the moss covered earth and she could feel anger boiling inside her at his words.

"You took me here without even asking, I do not know who you are nor do I know where I am, therefore I ask you to take me home or at least show me towards the river!" Her burning green eyes glared at him, as she tried to choose her words politely. The man turned his head over his shoulder once, looking at her for a split of a second before once again ducking to pick another fallen branch. He had picked at least enough fallen branches and sticks to make a small house by now.

"First of all, not knowing who I am is not a problem, for that can be taken care off easily. I'm Elladan, if knowing this somehow calms you. And second, if you are so angry because I saved your life maybe I should have left you there with the orcs to see how you manage." He spoke softly, as if not really entertained by her, but it was clear enough that he would not be helping her anywhere for the moment. 

She opened her mouth to strike back at him but did not find the words. She knew she would have died if it had not been for him awn his quick reactions, but she would not let him know that. Especially when his eyes seemed to be silently mocking her insistence of going home with the same look one gives to a child. She crossed her arms before her chest and decided to changed the subject, surrendering herself for the long night in the forest. 

She had never spent a night tousled her house, far from the village, and although it scared her, she would not admit that to him. And there was no way she would wander around on her own in order to try to fin the way back. At least he knew how to wield a sword. Sighing silently she decided that if they were going to spend the night here alone they must not be enemies, no matter how much she disliked his attitude.

"What are you doing?" She asked the man -Elladan he had said?- who had once again started his funny task of picking up branches. 

"A fire, unless it is your wish to freeze." He answered once again in his matter-of-fact, disinterest voice, standing up straight and walking in her direction. He was tall, a full head taller than her. 

"Here" He added, and she felt the weight of many branches being dropped on her arms, living he momentarily baffled. "Put them there, by that tree." A pale slender finger pointed towards a spot in the ground be free he turned around to pick up more branches, not waiting fro any reply form her. Giving him a deathly glare that he did not even turn to meet, she walked towards the indicated, carelessly throwing the branches there, although she did try to properly arrange them so that they would catch fire. 

Half an hour later they had a fire flickering and crackling, the orange flames casting dancing shadows around the mossy ground and staining the grass red and yellow. The warmth form the flames brushed comfortably against her body as they sat silently by the fire, and she tired hard to ignore the many sounds of the wind swirling again the dark leaves, or the noises of animals on the now pitch black forest around them. The sooner the morning came, the happier she would be. Neither of them talked even looking at the other as the hours danced by.

"I am starving." She broke the silence, no longer able to ignore the rumbling in her stomach. It had been many hours since her last meal, and he seemed to have no intention of having any kind of dinner, by the looks of it. Silver eyes turned in her direction, studying her carefully before answering.

"Then go ahead and find some food. There should be apple trees nearby." He turned to gaze at the fire once more, a pale hand moving one of the branches and stirring the dancing flames.

"Can you not go get them?" And once again it took all of her effort for her to try to sound polite, even though her eyes glared at him with flames that burned as much as the crackling fire. He was not being helpful at all!

"I do not see why, as I am not the one hungry." He once again replied in his calmed disinterested voice, as if not affected at all by any of her needs. 

"You are unbelievable." She muttered through gritted teeth, deciding that she would rather stay hungry having to walk away from the steady comforting light of the fire and into the tick canopy where she feared those creatures still lurked somewhere. Silence fell once more and they could just hear the cracking of the fire and the wind rustling agains the wind for long minutes.

"Will you not tell me your name?" He was the one to speak this time, although he did not turn to look at her.

"Why should I?" She snapped before she could hold herself, but she did not really care. If he was not going to be helpful, neither was she.

"I have told you mine" He reasoned. 

"You did it freely, I did force you to." She argued in return, but once again it did not seem to bother him.

"And I am not forcing you to, I am asking."

"Then I choose not to tell you."

"Fine," He muttered, for the first time appearing to be losing his patience with her, and oh it felt good to know that he was as bothered as she felt. "I no longer wish to know."

"How childish!" She exclaimed, steely eyes suddenly turning in her direction, cutting through her.

"So now I am the child? I am not the one complaining about hunger, wanting someone else to gather food to feed them, or denying names." He reasoned once more, and the way his dark eyebrows mockingly rose high on his forehead made her blood boil in ire.

"I did not ask you to feed me." She hissed, her eyes glaring at his, forest green meeting bright silver. "You have made that up, and if you were a proper kind man you would have gone and get some of the apples you mentioned, for you seem to know where they are!"

"Then by all means let us wait for a kind man to fetch you some apples, the problem is I do not see any man here to find you food!" He seemed amused now, lips curving up in a teasing smile as was making her already tight stomach turn in disgust.

"And what are you? A horse!"She had had enough of this, and his attitude was getting into her nerves.

And yet, to her utter surprise he laughed at her comment, a soft heart-filled laughed that strangely resembled the song of silver bells and she couldn't help but turning red in anger, even if she knew her elven skin did not blush. Rage was building up in her and she felt she could explode at any moment. He was laughing at her. He was looking at her so strangely, as if she was suddenly the most entertaining puzzling thing he had ever seen; a look that reminded her all too much of the many pointing fingers and whispers that had followed her throughout her childhood. 

"No, I am no horse but if you have failed to notice I am an elf just like you, spoiled child." 

Her eyes snapped open wide in surprise, seeming to take a second for the words to register in her head. An elf! Had she heard him right? She had never seen an elf before, just herself. But then something must be incredibly wrong. He could not be an elf could he? She had never imagined an elf could be like...like...him. Now that she looked at him again, he was indeed rather tall, and his silken dark hair was incredibly long, but she had always imagined elves as magical creatures, perfect creatures, so kind, so poised.....but him....no matter how handsome he was, he was disappointment. Still she wanted to ask him to see his ears, needing to see another being sporting the same pointed ears that she had always found an embarrassing sign of how different she was...but her pride would not allow her to ask him that. 

"You have no right to call me that way." She rebuked, once again managing to keep her voice steady, even though her insides were screaming at her to yell at him for his insult. 

"Then what should I call you, pray tell? if you refuse let me know your name?"

"Very well." She took a deep breath as she poke. " I am Elerrina, does that make you happy? And as I was previously saying, you-"

"Oh, leave it would you? I am trying to get some sleep. " He interrupted her, seemingly tired of her arguing, and she shot at him another fierce glance before adding 

"You were the one who brought me with you." 

Silver eyes looked up at the darkened sky, but he did not add anything else.

This was going to be a long night...


	3. Silver Stare

Voices came to her from somewhere, faint, unintelligible, nothing more than a barely audible whisper in the back of her head, foggy and unclear. She could hear them murmuring quickly and low and was only able to catch some of the muttered words, although she found them being in a language she did not recognize. slowly, she started to resurface into reality, feeling the strange sensation os a soft wind caressing her face.

Another whisper in that beautiful strange tongue. She did not know that voice, could not recognize it. It did not sound familiar. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, but the curtain of her long golden hair had fallen to cover her face in her sleep, preventing her from seeing anything. And she did not move, panic momentarily taking hold of her as she frantically tried to remember where she was. Was she lying on the ground? Why? Still, she barely dared to breathe trying to hear in the whispered conversation any word that she might be able to understand. 

She caught a different voice answering but it was too low for her to catch the words. They sounded angry...definitely arguing, though she could not tell about what. Who were these people and what were they doing in her bedroom? Did her mother know them? She must have been the one who let them in, nobody else lived in the house...

Fear started to rise inside of her as she realized she was not lying on her bed at home. She was laying on something cold and hard, and smell like....earth? Where was she?

The strangers kept their little argument in that strange tongue, ignoring the fact that she was awake now, and she preferred it that way. She did not want them to know she was conscious again, not when she had no idea who they were or what was their intention. Or more importantly where she was.

The voices where so low, the strange words flowing together like music, and she was just able to catch parts of the argument, they made no sense. And then it snapped. One of the voices spoke a name. "Elladan"

The name hit her like a wall of brick. Suddenly she remembered the previous night, the run, the nasty creatures, the silent crackling fire, the cold night wind, and she had been sure it had been just a dream. No. Come to think of it, if Elladan had been in it, it had definitely been a nightmare.

She quickly opened her eyes and sat up.

Her heart jumped inside her chest at the sight that met her. Not one but two Elladans were looking down at her from where they stood, by the burnt remains of the long dead fire, identical pairs of silver eyes turning her direction. Apparently they were the ones that had been arguing, based on the looks on their faces. 

And then she screamed, as loud as her lungs would allow her to, her eyes jumping from one of the figures to the other one, feeling too confused, they were too identical. Was she seeing things? Two Elladans! This had to be a nightmare! The most terrifying nightmare of her life.

"What are you doing! Stop screaming!" Yelled one of the identical tall figures, the one that had been casually sitting on huge rock. And even though both figures looked exactly the same, the voice of this one she did not recognize. 

Suddenly, a hand was pressed to her mouth from behind her, and it made her scream all the more loudly, although the sound was now muffled by strong steady fingers. She struggled, trying to get free of the strong hold, kicking and punching, but the arms around her were too strong compared to her pathetic attempts. What was happening?! 

"Stop it Elerrina!" hissed another voice in her right ear, and this time she was surprised that she did in fact recognize it: It was Elladan. But why was she seeing him twice? "The whole forest now knows our exact location."

She shuddered at the hidden authority in his voice and it filled her body with rage the fact that she stopped screaming the moment he had spoken. It hadn't been her intention to obey; in fact she would NEVER obey HIM! But the power in his tone was so strong she doubted there was any living form that could have denied his command.

Still she hated the feeling of that hand around her mouth, wanting him to step away from her. She opened her mouth and bit his hand with all the strength she could muster, and in a matter of seconds he had removed his hand, a surprised pained cry leaving his lips.

"Ah! What is wrong with you!?" Silver eyes glared at her while rubbing the spot where her teeth had sunk into his skin. "Are you an animal?" fiery grey eyes found hers and she suddenly felt herself trapped in the depth of them, falling into his angry stare, unable to break apart to look somewhere else. His eyes were so piercing, as if scolding her without needing to use words. And she suddenly felt embarrassed for her actions, an urge to apologize, and again that heavy power he carried around him, with his eyes, his voice, his sole presence. But she did not say anything. 

He was the one to look away first, and once a gain she felt free, she was her own again, able to think, able to act the way she liked, able to dislike him more now. How did he do that?! How did he control her being just with looking at her?! And more so, why was there another figure with them now? Where had he come from? He had not been there the night before.

"Take. Me. Home" She demanded, this time careful not to look at his eyes directly, she did not want to feel his power again. And yet, all she wanted was to be within the familiar settings of her small village once more, and forget this nightmarish experience. 

And yet, instead of looking at Elladan, she stared at his copy, the strange elf she did not know- and had no interest in knowing- but she stared at him curiously if only as an excuse as to why she was not looking at Elladan.She didn't want him to know the effect his strong gaze caused on her. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. The other elf had the same long dark hair that fell down his back, the features of his face identical to other's, and she was sure that if they stranded side by side she would not be able to tell which was which. 

"Gladly. See, one night here did not kill you, did it?" She heard Elladan saying as he walked away from her, her eyes widening slightly. All the authority and power in his voice was gone, he was just the elf she had met yesterday, disinterested, merely as if amused... the most nerve-wracking, annoying, stubborn elf she had ever met - but then again she had only met one. But she didn't dare to try to look at him, she would not risk that.

"I guess not." It was just a faint whisper but she knew he caught it because a mocking smile formed on the corner of his lips, the one that seemed to tease her as if she was only a complaining child, as if he knew so much more than she did.

"Very well" He said, walking deeper into the forest until his tall gracefully figure disappeared among the thick trees, not once turning to look back. 

"Where is he going?!" she thought aloud, all sorts of alarms once again ringing inside her head. Was he leaving her here by herself! He had just agreed to take her home, and yet he disappeared! 

"Do not fret, he will be back soon." A different voice spoke, and she was suddenly reminded of the other elf whose presence she had momentarily forgotten. And yet, somehow, he seemed much nicer than his copy, his voice kinder, warmer, but then again at the moment anyone would seem nicer that Elladan to her. She studied him carefully as he gently moved to untie two horses from a nearby tree, and once again she was surprised that she recognized the dark one: It was Elladan's, she remembered holding to that dark mane so tightly she could almost still feel it in her fingers. So the white one must be the stranger's. And oddly enough she found herself amused at the obviously contrasting difference between the horses when their owners were nothing but identical copies. 

She watched him slowly, silently, as he walked peacefully back to where she stood holding out one hand to her. And she did not know why but she suddenly felt as if this was an odd gesture for him, as if holding out his hand was not his usual form of greeting, the move appearing strangely less graceful than any other movement he had made.

"I am Elrohir, I apologize for my brother's behaviour last night." She stared at his outstretched hand for a second before shaking it slowly. Brother. Twins, then, for no regular brothers looked so alike. She decided him to give him a chance, it was not his fault his brother had been so obnoxious, and he seemed kind enough, although she remained ever wary of him. 'Never trust strangers', she could hear her mother's voice again, even though it had been a long time since she had stopped being a child.

"I am Elerrina." She introduced herself, name for a name. "And you do not look very pleased with my presence here " She pointed out, not missing the way his equally silver eyes had been looking at her disapprovingly since the moment she had woken, throwing equally disapproving glances at Elladan. She almost dared him to contradict her with her eyes, daring him to try and lie to her, and was partially surprised when he did not. 

"True. I do not approve of it, it is risky to pick up strangers, especially in these areas, but I would have done the same if I were in his place. Additionally I worried the orcs would find us if you were not careful enough to be quiet, but since the whole Middle Earth now knows where we are, it no longer matters. That set aside, you are not that bad. " A faint smile appeared on his face as he spoke, and she noticed that it carried that same teasing gleam that his brother's did, but his silver eyes did not seem to mock her, somehow seeming warmer, steel that would not cut. She returned the smile. At least he was being honest with her, he seemed trustworthy for the moment.

She soft sound of light footsteps made her head suddenly turn, only to find Elladan's tall figure materializing through the thick foliage, coming towards them again. Without a word he threw something at her and she instinctively threw her hand sin front of her to catch the item before it could hit her face, her eyes turning down to inspect it. It was an apple.

"There you go." He said, turning around and swiftly jumping onto the back of his horse ever so gracefully, his grey eyes meeting those of his twin in a glance that make suddenly fear as if they could talk without words. And then, she saw Elrohir follow his example from the corner of her eyes, in a quick move mounted on the back of his own white horse.

"Thanks" she said, her eyes dropping down to look at the bright red apple as she waved it gingerly between her fingers. Her expression was not friendly at all but she had been taught to be grateful.

Still, Elladan did not add anything else, and she only looked up as a hand was suddenly extended in her direction, her eyes turning upwards, and only knowing that the hand belonged to Elrohir because of the white horse he was sitting on. She accepted the hand, allowing herself to be helped onto the white horse behind the elf - it was either that or walking, and she would rather not walk all the way back. She had some trouble with her balance on the process, she had never ridden a horse before, and the night before did not count as any sort of lesson.

"Not much an and elf are you?" Elrohir's amused voice echoed, followed by a short laugh, and she could not help but laughing along. If only he knew she could hardly be called and elf.....She was more of a human, in customs, in language, and in mostly everything. But the identical figures would find that out very soon, she knew that one single look at what she called 'home' would be enough for them to know that she had lived all of her life among men, so she did waste time on explanations. She only risked a quick glance on Elladan's direction and immediately looked down at her hands.

His deep silver eyes were fixed on her....staring.


	4. Ashes in the Wind

The ride back to the village was taking longer than Elerrina had expected. It seemed that with the adrenaline and fear caused by the sudden ambush, she had failed to notice how deep into the forest they had penetrated, and no matter how long they march the thick foliage did not seem to lessen. Only the mere task of finding the main road took them a couple of long hours, and she could feel herself already getting sore from sitting on the horse, not used to its swaying and thumping. 

The forest looked so different during the day, when the soft rays of the golden sun caressed the leaves of the swaying trees, filtering weakly in sparkling reflects that moved and changed as the leaves above danced. I was almost possible to trace the soft lines they made as they pierced through the tree canopy, dancing and twirling to find new openings between the thick leaves: A perfect waltz among leaves and light softly choreographed to the melody of the breeze.

They rode in silence for the most part. She was sitting behind Elrohir, her hands holding tight to his shoulders for balance but not wanting to wrap them around his torso, that would be too much contact. She could feel the calming aura that emanated form his presence, his long velvet cloak brushing against her dress and below her fingers. Her hands had never touched such rich material before. And once again she made a mental note to remember that Elrohir was wearing a green cloak and Elladan blue, trying to keep tracks of ways to distinguish them.

Elladan rode in front of them, equally as silent, and, in her bored state, she allowed herself to study him closely. All she could see of him now was his long dark hair, falling nearly to his waist, and his flowing soft blue cloak, of the same velvet as his twin's. She silently rolled her eyes, even his cloak was graceful. Suddenly, as if he could feel her eyes on him, his head turned around to look at her. She dared to catch his eyes, and found the same pair of deep grey eyes she had seen when she had met him. His eyes had become silent once again, and betrayed no emotion.

She quickly turned to gaze into Elrohir's eyes. Only for a second she caught him staring at his twin brother, deep in thought, once again given her the impression the could talk without words, although a fraction of second later he was looking down at her. She had caught the quick exchange of stares between the twins, but decided that it was best to ignore it, she would ask about it later.

Elrohir's eyes were deep and warm, the kindest shade of liquid grey, and she felt that she could see his very soul reflected in his gaze. His eyes were exactly the same of his brother's, and yet they were so different.

"Can you read minds?" She regretted the question as soon as it left her lips. She could hear Elladan's quiet chuckles and could perfectly picture his grin mocking her. Fighting her urge to turn around again and yell at Elladan she focused instead on staring at Elrohir.

He too had laughed with the question, but instead of trying to suppress his amusement, he had freely let out a musical laugh.

"Yes, we can." He told her, his eyes still fixed on her, but she could not see if he was telling the truth or simply playing with her. But what is they could? It sounded pathetic, but the way the stared at each other made her almost believe that could indeed read each other's minds. But then, could they read hers too?

"What am I thinking about?" she tested him, feeling suddenly incredibly childish.

"You were just marveling at how gracefully my brother rides, and also bout how much you dislike his very presence, which I still fail to comprehend why. Also there is nothing you would want most than to be back home and forget this meeting ever happened, although, I dare to add that it will not be possible for you to forget because, as I understand, you had never seen an elf before...besides yourself of course." He was now grinning widely at her shocked expression. "Did I miss something?"

She felt herself blushing of embarrassment, perplexed, her heart hammering nervously inside he ribcage. She opened her mouth but closed it again; she did not really have anything to say. Instead she lowered her dark green eyes to stare at her lap and nervously started toying with one strand of her golden hair. 

"We cannot read minds" Called Elladan without turning around to look at her. Behind, her Elrohir exploded in laughter, the sound floating merrily in the warm breeze. She raised her eyebrows in a questioning look and turned to face the laughing twin.

"Now I am starting to dislike you too." She said but he raised one eyebrow at her, still smiling. He looked too charming to ignore. "Very well, I still like you" she added.

"You are simply too easy to read." Added Elladan, this time looking back at her, the smile on his face giving a mischievous gleam to his eyes. "Besides, you have been staring at us the whole morning. Has nobody taught you to be discrete?" With that he turned again to look to the front, gracefully ducking under a low branch.

"And I still dislike you." She muttered low to herself- forcing herself to use the word dislike instead o hate, which was closer to what she was feeling for the aloof entitled elf.

"You made that very clear yesterday." He answered, not turning to look. "Although, I do find you very interesting. What is an elven lady doing alone, this far from any of the elven realms? And, what confuses me most is how is it that you have never seen one of our kind before? Are you from Lorien? Or from Mirkwood? Definitely not Imladris, at least that I know of...."

"I do not wish to discuss my past with strangers" Truth was, she didn't know the answer to those questions. She had never thought about it. She had always wondered who her parents had been or how had they looked like, but had never questioned where they were from. More so, where were they from?

"I believed you could not dislike so much someone you hardly know" He added, still not turning back to face neither her nor his brother.

"I only know your name" She agreed, not wanting to give reasons as to why she hated him, even though she had many.

"And I only know yours"

"Then, you do not know me. We are strangers" She heard him sigh at her words, his cloak swaying softly on the sudden wind. 

"How could I know you if you do not let me try?"

Suddenly Elrohir stopped the horse with a swift move, and froze. She saw Elladan do the same a fraction of second after. She did not need to ask to know why they had stopped for she had felt it also. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she felt the repulsive smell of blood and ashes reaching her nose. The air had become heavy and hard to breathe, and the forest had become deathly silent; even the wind had stopped flowing. Even the sound of the river a couple of feet in front of them was empty and lacked its usual melancholic singing. Danger was not approaching. No. Danger had already passed, and they were merely encountering what it had left in its path.

Elrohir dismounted in a quick move. The light noise made by his feet as they touched the ground echoed in the trees. She saw him crouch to the ground and carefully trace something on the grass with the tips of his fingers, but she could not see what. Then he took a step forward and traced the same shape on another spot on the grass. It was then that she understood what he was doing. She could see not only the two shapes the twin had traced but one, two, three...a thousand more equal to that one. They were footsteps, heavy footsteps marked on the yellow dying grass.

"Orcs" Elladan's voice broke her out of her shocked trance. For the first time, she now noticed that the other twin had also dismounted and was frozen on his spot, eyes widely searching all around them. Elrohir was still crouching on the grass, also watching and listening. Elerrina did not dare to breathe as to not distract their concentration.

A cold breeze swept past them, tangling her hair all around her face. Dust blew into her eyes, making her have to close them shut, and to her horror she heard silent cries being carried by the wind, cries that were not issued by any living mouth. The echo of a thousand cries of fear and despair echoed in her ears, and in the trunks of the trees multiplying in noise and number and bouncing on every branch and leaf of the forest. Then, as soon as they had hit her ears, they vanished as the wind stopped once more, leaving her petrified. She opened her eyes and shook the dust out of her hair and face, but froze when she touched it, her blood running cold. It was not dust, it was...

"Ashes" Confirmed Elrohir as he rose from the ground. He was examining the ashes on his had as his twin brother shook his hair and cloak.

Elerrina could no longer sit on the horse, not knowing what was happening, anxiety sweeping through her body. She quickly jumped of the horse, surprised as she landed as gracefully as the twins had done a couple of minutes before. Slowly, she approached Elladan, who was only a couple of feet ahead of his twin and the horse she had been sitting on. Silver eyes gave her a concerned look, suddenly alert and worried, then his gaze turned to keep scrutinizing the forest, still remaining frozen on his spot.

She dared to take some steps ahead of Elladan, in the direction of the river, needing to hear its absent singing, its silenced voice. The deathly cold breeze had come from that direction, so whatever those cries were, and whatever had happened, had happened in that direction as well. She could tell the twins already knew this, for they were both looking at the river also, eyes searching every rock, branch and leaf.

She stared at the empty water. The hush of the river was hollowly silent and monotone. She had heard this very river sing to her many songs before, its waters dancing on its way down, jumping, twirling, but now...now it resembled a funerary march down the stony steps of the stream. It was as if the river was dead.

Then, in front of her she saw something that would not leave her mind for the rest of her existence. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, body freezing on the spot. There, floating carried by the death water was a body. Face down, arms and legs half floating half sinking in the mirror of the river. The tail of a black arrow stuck out in its back. Before she could react to the sight in front of her, another body floated down to join the first one. Then another, and another. Hundreds of bodies floated down the once alive river, staining the once pure waters in a bloody pink color that made her stomach turn to lead. Too many faces, too many bodies, some floating down the current and other dragged to a spot against the protruding rocks. Some faces looked down so she could only see their matted hair; others looked up, eyes like blank glass looking to the sky. Men, women, children, all sorts of bodies. 

A cry escaped her lips as she recognized some faces, her breath catching in her throat. They looked so different, so pale, so stiff....so cold: The baker and his wife, his long grey beard now matted read, mouth hanging half-open; Their four year old son, suddenly so still that if felt hard to believe it was the same boy that always ran around attempting to pull at her long hair or throw flour at her dress, and she had t turn away as to not see his face, not wanting to have that engraved on her mind; some women that worked with her mother, helping her shape many bowls in the deep red clay that now seemed as crimson as the blood; the three young brothers that lived next to her...

A hand suddenly pressed to her eyes form behind, closing them shut, turning her world dark and shielding her from the deathly sight. A second one wrapped in front of her around her waist and a body was pressed against her, and the next thing she knew she was being lifted into a horse again with a quick move, the body still pressed against her. She heard the one holding her say something in a language she did not understand. I was Elladan's voice. Still she did not dare to open her eyes, and as soon as she had been lifted into the horse she felt that they had started to run. She could hear Elrohir's reply in the same strange language behind her as he also mounted and ran along with them, but she did not dare to open her eyes. Instead she buried her face in Elladan's shoulder, fingers gripping tightly his light blue cloak, wishing to erase the floating bodies from her mind.


	5. Last Rays of Sunlight

The wind slapped her face wildly, harsh and cold against her skin, throwing her hair in every direction. The longer they ran the heavier and harsher the wind became. Even with her eyelids shut tightly over her deep green eyes, she could see the hollow stares of the corpses as they were slowly washed away by the current. She could not escape the sight, it followed her, haunted her from behind her tightly closed eyelids. They came in fast flashes inundating her mind: glassy blue eyes staring blankly at the sky; mouths still open with the ghost of a last shout; black arrows sticking out of shoulders, backs, heads; and water slowly turning a poisonous bright red.

The wind rang in her ears like a thousand shouts, batting her golden hairs forcefully against her face, neck and shoulders. The sound of the horses as they ran over the ground seemed to have been multiplied infinitely, mixing with the shouting wind and dark images inside her mind. Her heart pounded so hard that she felt she could almost hear it trying to jump in despair out of her chest, and even her blood felt cold and icy running through her veins. She felt choking, cut out of pure air to breathe, her fingers once again holding tightly to the horse's silken mane. Elladan's fast breaths brushed the right side of her face as she felt him inclining forward to ride faster, his arms to either side of her gripping the reins of the horse.

Drawing agitated breaths, she dared to opened her eyes in a failed attempt to liberate herself from the images crossing her previously shut eyelids. She heard another quick interaction of words between the twins in the language she did not know, but assumed, had to be elvish- she did not know what to call it.

Everything was happening so fast. The forest flew past her as her body jumped up and down on the horse. Her thoughts were lost in a labyrinth of dead faces, but the faces were not only floating on the now red river, they were also laying on the ground, covered in blood and dirt. Faces she did not recognize yet somehow remembered, somehow saw them in her head. Distorted images of faces all mixed together between land and water inside her mind. The baker's son face staring at the sky, and then a flash of a pair of mysterious blank green eyes also staring dead at the sky. Flashes of tall elegantly dressed bodies, adorned with twinkling jewels spread on the ground, followed by flashes of floating human bodies. Screams, clashes of metal hitting metal, golden hair, a body floating face down, the three brothers faces, and the blank green eyes again...

She barely felt the horse slow down into a walk before completely stopping. From the corner of her eyes she caught Elrohir stopping next to them, but did not turn to look. Diverting her gaze to what laid ahead of her she saw what she had been desperately dreading, her heart missing a beak as it sunk suddenly, and she felt as if she would be sick, the world starting to spin.

The once green and joyous clearing that was her village was no more than mere memories now. The landscape in front of her was barely recognizable anymore. This was not her home. This could not be her home. The ground was covered in what remained of the once cozy houses: ruins of fallen stone and ashes, burnt wood splattered everywhere, and she could still almost see the flames licking at them, laughing tauntingly, killing, destroying. Bodies laid spread carelessly on the ground, none of them breathing anymore, nearly all of them unrecognizable, covered in mud, dark drying blood and more ashes, the stench of burnt flesh making her already twisted stomach contract painfully, and she had to force herself to breathe deeply. 

A tight knot started to build inside her throat, too tight, constricting. She could not breathe. She was going to suffocate. And she saw green eyes flash inside her mind, blank green eyes, golden hair, and blood. She suddenly jumped from the horse, almost falling to the ground as the hard surface met her weak, shaky legs, and, without looking back, started to run towards her house, as fast as her feet would go. She needed to find....she needed to know....her heart had stopped beating, and she was sure she had already died and this was nothing but a cruel nightmare, a cruel fragment of her twisted imagination. 

The faint smoke rising from the burnt buildings made it harder for her to breathe with her already useless lungs. It embraced her like ghostly arms, caressing her skin as if wanting to take her down to join the rest of the departed souls. It got into her eyes making tears fall out of her green orbs, then painting them in black lines across her cheeks as she blinked furiously in order to keep her eyes open. She needed to see, she needed to know... Or were the tears out of fear for what she might find at home? She did not know, and was not sure if she wanted to find out. She was going to be sick. This was not her home. This was not her village. 

Breath was suddenly completely cut out from her. The knot in her throat tightened and a desperate cry died before it left her mouth, her mouth twisting but no sound came. Ruins. Ashes. What used to be her house was no longer recognizable. The world spun once more, her hands suddenly trembling uncontrollably, she could not make them stop. 

Smoke still came out of the shapeless ragged holes that were once windows and through the crack on the wooden door that now fell awkwardly against the entrance, blocking her access to the insides, the wood blackened and splintered, as if it had been brutally forced. 

Without thinking it twice, she pushed the wooden door as hardy as her trembling wobbly arms would allow her, wriggling the brunt wood, trying with all of her strength to move it slightly, not even noticing as many splinters penetrated into her skin, cutting her palms and fingers, leaving her own blood in the broken pieces of wood. She desperately looked at the holes of the windows, trying to find a better option, but the debris of stone covering them would be harder to move than the broken door. She did not count how many tried it took her, or how many cuts she got, but finally the opening between the fallen door and the thick masonry wall was now only wide enough for her to squeeze in.

Fear gripped at her insides like a vicious torturing claw, her mind racing frantically yet processing nothing. She needed to see. She needed to find her mother. Where was her mother? Had she gotten out? Had she been able to run away? Had she fled into the forest? She desperately tried to cry out, but her voice would not come, her lips would not even move. Instead, she struggled through the opening, feeling a flash of pain on her right arms as a stone from the wall cut her skin while she entered the house.

It was hard to see inside, smoke and ashes were everywhere, covering her skin like a heater layer of haunted dust, and she tripped twice on fallen remains of chairs, furniture, and pieces of windows. Something crunched beneath the soles of her shoes, and it took her a second to realize that it was shards of broken glass. Her eyes searched frantically around her, hoping to find the form of the grey haired woman somewhere, anywhere, and at the same time hoping to not find her there. She had to have escaped somehow. She had to have run away. She did not want to see. But she needed to see. 

"Mom!" She called, but she did not recognize her own voice. That frail shaking sound could not possibly belong to her, could it? "MOM!"

"MOTHER!" She yelled as loud as her ash filled lungs would allow her, coughing a couple of times, feeling her throat going raw. "MOTHER!.....MOM!"

No answer came. 

Her whole body was shaking, breathes coming in sharp gasps and heaves in between shouts and coughs, and she could feel her voice growing fainter and fainter. But she pushed, she pushed agains the choking knot in her throat, screaming and yelling until her mouth could no longer pronounce proper words, merely raw loud screams, cries for anyone to answer. Anyone. 

Nobody did. 

She moved around, bumping and tripping with fallen fragments of what used to be things, her heart drumming against her chest too loudly, too harshly, and at the same time not seeming to beat, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. Moving into the small kitchen -or what was left of it- she noticed a pile of fallen stone next to the broken wood table. But there was something among the stones, something dark, something that resembled....

She gasped, screaming her throat raw as her wobbly knees gave out, and she fell of the ash covered ground next to the stones, not feeling the pain of her knees collapsing abasing a pile of broken wood, cutting her legs and knees, her dress covering in ashes. She had never known this fear. It had to be cruel twisted joke. It had to be nightmare. The dark thing among the rocks, spilling lifelessly out of the debris, was nothing else than strands of greying hair.

Elerrina felt her world collapse, her chest being compressed too tightly, until she could produce no sound, could draw no breath. This image would forever haunt her dreams. There, partially concealed in between the trapping fallen stone, lay her only resemblance of any sort of family. Her mother lay motionless on the ground, her ever smiling face now expressionless, pale, lifeless, the warm wrinkles that adorned her eyes whenever she smile now suddenly cold. 

Her eyes were closed as if peacefully sleeping, shielding her from seeing those warm brown eyes now cold and blank in death. But this was a dream from which she would never wake up soon. This had to be unreal. Please. 

She heard a strangely cry, but did not realize it had left her own lips. She screamed, but could form no coherent words. Something wet was sliding down her face, making the black ashes stick to her skin, feeling harsh, like sandpaper, and her shaking hands frantically brushes them away, rubbing the black all over her face. But the tears would not stop, and she could barely see through them. Sobs wracked her body, and she felt herself shaking, alternating in between gasped breaths and broken loud cries that barely managed to produce any sound at all. 

She rose a trembling hand, finding that she could barely control her movements, and slowly, frightened, stroked the ash covered graying dark strands of her mothers hair. It felt rough, as it always had, the curls thick and tangled. She had buried her face so many times in those locks, feeling them prickle agains her cheeks; they had made her feel protected and secure. And now they just made her feel cold....empty. 

Then, not knowing what to do, not able to control her sobbing, her cries, she softly cleaned Naeraviel's face from the dirt and ashes as best as she could, using the hem of her dress. Her fingers desperately searched for the woman that she had loved as her own mother, the woman who had raised her, but she was no longer there, this was only an empty shell. 

Slowly, she traced the woman's soft lips, looking for the smile that had come to permanently reside in them, but was now robbed from the body, departed with her soul. She wished for those lips to call her name once more. She needed to hear her call her name once more. To ask her how her day had gone, as she did every night when she got back home. To recognize her presence here, right next to her.

She tried to speak, but her mouth would not cooperate, her voice came out cracked and barely audible, no words forming, although she well knew that her mother's ears could not hear her anymore. She stopped to get a breath. 

"Mom?" Once again she did not recognize her own voice, the word barely decipherable. She stopped, waiting for an answer that she knew would not come.

She opened her mouth to add something, but the only sounds that came out were uncontrollable sobs. "I....I...a-a-am...s-sorry" she said between sobs, her voice hoarse and raw, gripping her mother's only free hand into her own. It felt cold. Too cold. 

She should have been here. She should have never left for her walk yesterday. Her mother had asked to stay to help her in the kitchen but she had insisted on going. And yet, she knew that there was no way she could have known this would happen. And if she had not gone to her usual walk, then she too would most probably be lying here, forever joined to her adoptive mother in death. But at the moment that did not sound as such as bad option. She knew it was not her fault, but she could not help feeling guilty.

She heard the door being moved but did not turn to look, light footsteps approaching her, moving confused inside the house, walking towards the spot where she knelt. The twins had followed her. Of course they would. She did not look back, gripping her mother's hand tighter. She did not want to let go. Why could they not leave her in peace! 

"Elerrina?" came Elrohir's soft voice. Nearly a whisper.

She did not answer. She could not answer. What was there for her to do now? The life she knew was now gone, and she too scared to face what awaited her. She was alone.


	6. New Sunrise

"Elerrina?" Came Elrohir's voice, nearly a whisper, sounding strangely distance as if far away even though she could feel his presence only some steps away from her.

She heard him slowly, but determinately, walk towards her at her lack of response, but she could not move, not even to turn her head in his direction. He knelt by her side, the draft sound of the ashes ruffling against his knees feeling too loudly in the midst of this deathly wreck. She could feel his silver eyes on her, studying her carefully, patiently. Softly, after what felt like hours - or seconds? was time even moving forward?- she felt his gentle hand curling around her arm, softly pulling her up to her feet. 

No. She did not want to let go. Her eyes frantically remained glued to her pale fingers still holding to her mother's cold had. Do not let go. No. But her hand would not respond to her, her fingers limp, the cold hand sliding away from her grip. She could barely feel Elrohir's hand still firmly pressed around her left arm, his other hand resting lightly over her right shoulder.

She was only glad she did not have to explain anything, for she saw comprehension reflected on his silver eyes as he diverted his gaze from her to the limp body on the ground. His eyes also showed sorrow and pain, but his face remained perfectly calm. 

"We need to go" He broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. She turned her head to face him, finding him right there not to her and yet she felt so far away. Go where? She had nowhere to go. She was home....but her home was gone. 

Again, she did not answer. She could not find her voice, could not think in coherent sentences. It felt as if her whole body had been shut down.

"No" She heard her voice but could not remember speaking the words. Her eyes were still lost, focused on the emptiness. Her voice was a barely audible sound, only audible to elven ears.

"I dare not stay here any longer" There was a worried tone in his gentle voice, and she could almost feel his eyes scanning the area around them, as if he could feel something unnerving around. He lifted her chin with a hand,soflty, fingers barely touching her, forcing her green eyes to meet his grey ones. "The trees make me anxious. I know you can also feel it. It is not safe here."

He paused for a moment to let the words sink into her, but it was useless, she was barely listening. Once again she stayed mute, eyes fixed into his commanding gaze.

"This was not an accident. This was a planned ambush." HE spoke again, but whether it was to her or to himself she could not tell. She knew his words were true the moment they had arrived at the ruined village, but the serious look in his eyes only confirmed the truth of the statement. Nothing about the burnt fallen village seemed like any sort of fight had taken place, it was as if no time had been given to the men to protect themselves. "This was very well planned. " He added.

She dropped her eyes to look at the floor, commanding her body to move, to react in any way. Tears still ran in rivers down her cheeks, but she had ago stopped feeling them. She barely noticed as Elrohir started to direct her towards the door, her feet walking along with him but she could not feel them moving. Nonetheless she followed, allowing herself to be taken outside through the small opening, feeling yet not seen the sun once again falling over her face.

Her emotions were so strong and yet so confusing to her. She felt a mixture of stabbing pain, sorrow, anguish, despair and anger. The roiled inside her and yet she could not reach them, her eyes sweeping around the collection of fallen houses, or what was left of them, her feet barely avoiding pieces of stones, furniture, buckets, and many other forgotten items left carelessly around. 

And then her eyes fell on him. He was standing in the middle of the clearing, just next to the ruins of a tall wall, waiting patiently for his twin. And yet, the second her yes found him, it felt as if a dam had suddenly broken loose inside of her, anger boiling through her veins, mixing with the most overwhelming sense of pain and despair, ire, fury. If only he had helped the night before when she asked him to take her back home! If only he had taken her back! They might have been able to drag her mother to safety! She might be alive now! 

"YOU!" She felt herself scream, but the sound that came was only a ragged hiss through era raw throat, overflowing with venom. She stormed in his direction, her feet once again moving on their own, not even noticing as she forcefully broke free form Elrohir's gentle grip, slapping his hand away as he tried to stop her. 

Elladan turned his faced quickly in her direction, clearly taken by surprise at her sudden outburst, but he did not move, watching her approach him patiently. Rage burned inside of her, making her hands tremble uncontrollably as she nearly ran in his direction. 

"YOU!" she yelled again, her voice comping out louder this time as she reached the place were he stood. And then, without being able to control herself, only needing some relief something to take way her agony, her rage, her despair, she felt herself throwing her shaking arms at him, hitting him as hard as she could, shoving him back, even though her arms were too weak to even move him. One night. It had only required this elf to take her for one night and she had missed the chance to say goodbye to her mother. He could have helped her! She had asked him to take her home! 

"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE!" she hit him hard, slapping his shoulders, his chest, if only it could lessen the pressure that felt constricting her own chest, if only ti could take it away. She used as much force as she could, hitting every inch of him she could reach, only angered more that his hands were to weak to even be hurting him. She wanted to hurt him, wanted him to feel even a fraction of the pain she felt coursing inside of her, twisting her heart, clawing at her lungs. 

"YOU SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT ME BACK" She shook her head, her arms flying frantically around her, slapping his cheeks, shoving him in the chest, but the only thing she wanted to claw at was her won chest. She needed to take it away. This feeling inside of her. She needed to claw it out. 

And yet, Elladan did not move. He did not even raise one had to shield his body and face from assaulting hands. He stood there, unmoving and silent, allowing her to freely hit him.

"I COULD HAVE HELPED HER ESCAPE!" She continued with her hysterics, raged as her arms only grew weaker and weaker, barely obeying her any longer. And yet there was the voice deep inside that told her that she could not have helped her mother, she would have died as well. But she failed to listen to it. It felt better to yell at him, to have someone to take this torturous pain out with. Her hands refused to obey her anymore, her slaps and hits barely touching him now, but she continued.

Realization finally hit her, and she wanted to push it back, she did not want to accept it. Her mother was dead, and there was nothing she could do or could have done about it. And yet, part of her deep inside had always feared this moment, had always knew it would eventually come. Her mother was mortal, and she was not. Whether by sickness or old age, she had always fear when the moment would come. But it had come too soon, and without warning. 

She brought her shaking hands to her face, brushing harshly against the wet trails at her cheeks, no longer feeling the strength in her to keep hitting him, to keep moving. And it was Elladan had anticipated that she would eventually break down. That made her angrier if that was possible, but they both knew that what had happened was nobody's fault, even though she tried to convince herself that it was his fault.

She turned her eyes to look up, gazing at the reddening sky, laughing humorlessly at the bright color. When had the sun started to set? It would be dark soon, yet another night, but the morning would bring a different world than the one she had woken up to all of her life. Where would she even wake up tomorrow? Where was she to go? Forcing herself to steady her shaking hands, she took a deep breath, willing her sobs to quiet down. There was nothing she could do. She would grieve and she would mourn her adoptive mother, but she could not let herself fall apart. 

"Night will be upon us soon." She heard Elrohir speak, and only now did she notice that he had walked towards them once he had seen her stop her hysteric fists from hitting Elladan. What would happen now? The twins would not stay in the midst of the fallen village. But where would she go?

"Is there anywhere else we can take you?" Elrohir's gentle voice brought her out of her trance and she found his soft grey eyes studying her once more. 

"No." Her voice sounded hollow, but that was exactly how she felt. This had been it. She had nowhere else to go. 

"Then come." Was all he said, a hand softly landing on her shoulder. "We should find shelter in the forest before night falls." 

She nodded her head, not even asking Elrohir where they had been headed in the first place. Anywhere they were headed had to be better than being alone in the middle of the ruins. She forced herself to take another deep breath. Do not fall apart. There was nothing left for her here. She was still alive. She had to keep going. 

Elladan extended a hand towards her shoulders, gently, as if guiding towards the place where both horses had been left by a nearby fallen tree. 

"Don't" she snapped, slapping his hand away, her eyes throwing daggers into his grey eyes.

He pulled his hand back and nodded his head in silence, not adding anything in return. Then, without a single word, he turned around, walking towards the waiting horses. He did not look back at her, not even to check if she had moved.

Elrohir was still looking at her expectantly, standing patiently beside her, and she turned to face him. 

"Take me with you." She asked, not knowing how she managed for her voice to sound perfectly steady, suddenly strong, determined, even though her eyes seemed to almost plead at him. And she did not need to specify that by you she had meant him and his brother, Elrohir seeming to have understood her perfectly.There was nothing left for her here. "Wherever you are headed, take me with you."

A single nod of his head was all that she needed as a reply, and he did not say anything else. But there was nothing else to say. Instead, she let herself be helped once more to mount behind Elrohir, willing herself to remain strong. She was an elf, she was an immortal being, and she was going to live eternally, then she needed to live. And there was no life left here, no matter how much it pained her. 

She could barely feel the cold dusk wind slapping her face as they galloped at a steady, fast pace, moving farther and farther away from the devastation left behind. Do not look back. There is nothing left behind you. She did not know how long she remained with her gaze lost among the passing trees, the twins once again foregoing the main road and entering deeper and deeper in to the lush forest. Wherever she was headed she would welcome it. There was nothing left for her here.

As the stars illuminated the sky, the reflection of their pure light fell against her golden hair, shining as a crown of light atop her head. Ironic. The Valar must have really blessed her.....or cursed her. Twice now she had been the only soul left breathing in the midst of a brutal massacre.


	7. Let it Burn

The Sun was already high in the sky by the time Elerrina awoke from her deep sleep. At first she felt confused, slightly disoriented, but soon everything came back to her as she felt that she was lying on the hard ground in the middle of the forest. Slowly sitting up she also noticed the twins discussing something only a couple of feet away from her, always in that strange musical language. 

It had been three days since now since they had abandoned the fallen debris of the village behind, and every day still felt as if it had been nothing but a horrible nightmare. Her delicate fingers slid down her long locks of hair, as if trying to comb through them but she already knew the tangled knots would be a lost cause. 

Next to her, the twins must have heard her move because two identical faces suddenly turned quickly in her direction.

"And she is alive!" Said one of them.

She still had trouble identifying which twin was which, and was again glad that they had not discarded they travel cloaks. The one who had spoken wore a green velvet cloak around his shoulders and she quickly identified him as Elrohir. Elladan, wearing a light blue cloak, laughed at his twin's exaggerated statement, shaking his head lightly.

She threw him a deadly glare before standing up and making her way towards them. They both also stood from their spot on the grass, their mischievous grins slowly disappearing from their faces to be replaced by a solemn expression. She could feel them carefully studying her, watching her as if she was a crystal vase falling in the air, waiting for her to hit the ground and crash into a million pieces. But she did not blame them, not after she had furiously hit one of them only three days ago, even if she had not managed to left even the tiniest of bruises on his skin. But she felt calmer now, had done so for the past day. There was nothing left for her behind. 

"Are you ready to go?" Asked Elladan, cutting her out from her wondering thoughts. He looked carefree, a soft smile playing on his lips. At first she had not expected him to talk to her, not after how she had hit and slapped him, but he acted as if nothing had ever happened. And she could not tell whether or not she felt glad about that. 

"Go where?" she asked for the first time. For three days it had been the same routine: waking up in the cold damp ground and them mounting behind one of the twins and galloping the entire day, only to make a fire at night and fall asleep again on the hard earth. And yet, she had not really question whether or not they had a destination, or what said destination was. 

"Imladris" They said together in perfect coordination, a thing that had surprised her the first couple of times but had now seemed to become normal.

Her eyes widened slightly at the familiar name. She had heard of the elven sanctuary, protected by a powerful Elf-Lord, in many children stories before. Traveling men had mentioned it when they stopped to spend the night at her village, and it had always sounded like a far away place that was only meant to be heard of but never seen. She remembered playing around the yards with the other children, pretending to be respected elven warriors and princesses, her imagination transforming the old rustic small houses into an elven paradise.

"With elves?" she asked, mentally kicking herself after she had spoken, realizing how dumb she must have sounded. Two identical pairs of grey eyes looked at her puzzled, both with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes" said Elrohir. "You are an elf" he reminded her, suddenly looking incredibly entertained.

He had already mounted on the back of his horse, and she saw his mirror image do the same seconds later.

"Unless of course you would rather stay here" Said Elladan, who was now sitting straight on the back of his horse. His tone seemed to tease her, and for a second she really doubted whether or not they would leave her there if she did not say anything.

A victorious look gleamed in his eyes as he extended a hand to her, and she hated that she had nothing to rebuke him with. She did not want to be left int he forest. Especially not alone. 

She stood as tall and proud as she could and threw Elladan another fierce glare before accepting his extended hand. He pulled her up in front of him, chuckling softly at his victory.It seemed that the twins were taking turns in carrying her. She would ride one day with Elrohir and the next with Elladan, and the choice was never hers to make. 

She crossed her arms tightly and stared angrily at the front. The lack of control over things was starting to get to her, but there was nothing she could really do about it. And then, as if he could read her hesitation, she felt Elladan lean forward closer to her, his head coming next to the right side of hers, a little taller than her.

"There is nothing left for you here." He whispered softly in her right ear. His tone left all the humor and carefreeness it previously carried. He spoke the truth she had been trying to ignore and left no space for arguments this time. His eyes looked at her with a sympathetic look, as if he could share what she felt, but how could he? He had no idea how she felt. 

"You cannot make time go back. Your place is now with your kind, you belong among us. You do not belong to the mortal world, they cannot escape death." 

She did not say anything, and he leaned back again, sitting straight behind her once more.

"I am sorry for your loss" He added in a low voice. It was the first time he mentioned it since that terrifying afternoon, and his sympathetic words made something snap inside of her.

"Like you would know how it feels." She snarled as she turned her head back to face him, her eyes glaring with the venom in her tone.

With the corner of her eye she saw Elrohir tense and look down, his face suddenly an expressionless mask. Contrary to his twin, Elladan kept his gaze fixed on her, deep and welcoming, and she thought she could see only for a split second a flash of sadness cross the depths of his silver eyes. 

"I have heard it is hard." He said, still looking deeply into her eyes. Elrohir was still looking down, his body tensed.

She turned her face back to the front, giving her back to the dark haired elf. A long silent moment passed before any of them spoke, the trees moving around them in their soft stroll.

"That is definitely not how a walk in the forest should have gone." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest once again. But why did she keep coming back to that? The past was already past. She could change nothing about it now. 

She could almost hear a grin creeping to Elladan's lips as he answered her.

"Well this is also not how a hunting trip should have gone. And now we are two days behind our expected arrival back to Imladris. We are never late" His tone had changed once again to his usual mischievous one. She already had the impression that those two must be the definition of trouble.

"Actually I can think of a couple times we were indeed late" Said Elrohir as he looked up, the look in his eyes mirroring the one of his twin's. "And if I remember well one of them involves you, dear brother, getting lost. Glorfindel spent two days looking for you and Adar nearly had his head"

Elladan's face turned a bright shade of red with embarrassment at the memory.

"We were elflings!" he said in his defense.

"Were not!"

"Adar?" She questioned. Was that a word? or was it a name? 

"It means 'father'" Elrohir was the one to answer her, although his eyes continued to mockingly glance at his mirror image.

And yet, the prospect of heading towards the elven sanctuary both fascinated her and terrified he . A lot of forgotten questions from her childhood returned to her head at that thought. Who was she really? How had she come to be Naeraviel's adoptive daughter? Did she have an elven family somewhere? This was going to be and interesting journey. And she once again lost herself in her thoughts, her mind feeling foggy, the day once again following the very same routine. 

 

\---

She was standing in the peaceful river, the crystalline waters reaching her waist and playing with her dress. The forest sang all around her, and she could see birds of every color flying on the sky or sitting on swaying branches. The palm of her hand softly caressed the water. It felt cold and refreshing, dancing against her fingers.

Then, the second she touched the water, the transparent liquid suddenly changed color. The perfect reflection of the blue sky above was erased by a quickly spreading bright red. She removed her hands as fast as she could, but the red continued to spread, covering every drop of clear water, extending, thick, like blood. She glanced around, her heart beating fast. The forest was gone. The only things that remained were black burnt trunks of trees, smoke and ashes still flying from them.

Suddenly something else appeared on the bloody river. A body. It was face up, floating with the current, nearing her. A black arrow was inserted on its shoulder. The body floated now in front of her, almost touching her as it passed, and she was able to see its face. It was a man. His face was frozen in a pained expression, his brown eyes staring blankly at the sky.

As fast as the water had changed color, the body in front of her started to transform. Dark hair turned golden and long, falling in a cascade of delicate waves. Dirty clothes turned into a white dress. body of the man had transformed into a woman, long pale dress splattered around her limp figure.

She was no longer submerged in the blood river, but standing on the hard ground. Looking closely at the dead body in front of her she noticed her pointed ears. An elf. Her pale skin shone under the moonlight, her empty eyes staring at the stars...emerald green.

Elerrina woke up with a start, only to find herself lying on the grass. A sleeping figure wrapped in green laid to her left side, his back to her so she could only see his long dark hair. Elrohir, she thought, as she remembered where she was.

The ride during the day had been smooth and without any complications. She had spent the day mainly listening to the many stories Elrohir told her. Most of them had been about pranks they had managed to play on different elves she did not know, and she had lost tracks of the names she had heard.

The night was silent. Only a soft breeze played with the dark leaves of the sleeping trees. The fire that they had started earlier in the night was still alive and burning, only a couple of feet away from her. The sound of the wood, cracking and burning as the hot red flames danced vividly around it, played in synchronization with the swaying leaves, and she could feel their comforting distant warmth.

Her eyes looked around, noticing Elladan sitting still next to the fire, his back to hers. In the darkness of night, the red firelight traced patterns on his ebony hair and cloak, as if the flames themselves were touching his still body.

Trying not to make noise, as to not wake the sleeping Elrohir, she carefully stood up and made her way towards the fire. She knew that trying to go back to sleep would be impossible for the night, so she might as well get some company.

Silently she reached the fire and lowered herself to a sitting position on the opposite side of where Elladan sat. If he had heard her approach he had not shown it, for he remained completely still, staring into the darkness.

"Bad dream?" He asked, not turning his face to look at her.

"I am not going to tell you about it" She did not want to speak of it, for she could not really explain it if she was asked to.

"I was not going to ask"

The fire cracked and twirled in between them as a sudden breeze played with her golden locks.

"What are you doing awake?" She changed the subject. The silence of the night frightened her as the fresh images of her dream made their way back into her head.

"I am not going to tell you about it" He answered, this time turning to face her. A mischievous sparkle shone in his eyes as he savored the words leave his mouth.

She had to contain herself from snapping at him as he used her own words against her.

"You are impossible" She remarked, one of her hands playing with a fallen twig next to her, tracing patterns on the dirt.

"You make it impossible" With that he stood up and walked away from, heading deeper into the forest and away from the bright orange light.

"Where are you going?" She quickly stood up to follow him into the dark forest, not wanting to be left alone by the fire. He was faster than her but she kept walking as fast as she could, her feet stumbling on the uneven ground. The farther he walked the darker it got, and the harder it became to see through the maze of thick tree trunks. 

Suddenly, he stopped, turning to face her in an all too quick move. Not anticipating this, she bumped into his chest, completely taken by surprise. 

"Why are you following me?" He demanded, his voice cold as he leaned close to her face, his silver eyes piercing into hers. She tried to lean back, away from his gaze but her back was pressed against a thick tree trunk. His hands were pressed to the trunk to either side of her, trapping her.

His deep grey eyes were looking at her intently. She tried to look away but her eyes would not obey her as she drowned in a pool of silver. She felt the need to look away, to liberate herself from his trapping stare, but could not do it.

"Why do you follow me if you have no interest in talking to me?" He leaned in closer and she found it hard to breath. His tone was not angry, but it was not warm either, his deep grey eyes burned into her green ones and she felt exposed, like if he could see inside her mind and soul.

"Are you capable of having a conversation with me without feeling the need to start a fight?" She could feel his warm breath on her face as he spoke, his face only inches from hers. She did not even try to answer for she knew that her voice had abandoned her. It was as if something inside of him had finally snapped, had finally had enough. 

"I do not believe you hate me." He was so close that his words had become only whispers. He leaned even closer if that was possible, placing his mouth just before her right ear as he whispered the rest of the words. "You are only scared of what is strange to you. All you have known is mortality and death, lives so fleeting and short that they pass you by in a heartbeat. How many children that grew up with you in that village have you seen die old and grey already? You are scared to interact with others, and you snap and you push away, for fear that they might leave you someday, because you know they will. That is what the world has taught you."

His breath on her ear made shivers run down her spine, his face almost touching hers and his mouth still close to her ear. All she could hear now was his breathing and hers, as the forest grew silent once more. He was so close that she could feel the heat from his body.

Then, without any warning he turned around and started to walk away once again.

"Elladan" She said finding her voice inside of her as she grabbed his arm preventing him form going any further.

He turned to face her in silence, eyes awaiting expectantly her words. A moment passed before she could force her mouth to open again and said what she should have said some days ago.

"Thank you..." She looked down, not willing to meet his silver gaze again for fear of she might find there. "...for saving my life"

"My pleasure" He said as he turned his back to her and disappeared into the dark forest, leaving her frozen, rooted in her place with his words still playing inside her brain.


	8. When I Only Know Your Name

The first gleams of sunlight dashed through the sky like thin threats of gold, as the dawn painted the skies in various shades of pink and violet. The dark veil of the night had not yet completely faded, contrasting obscure and peaceful against the awaking day. The morning breeze carried the beautiful melodies of birds, distant and soft, like awaking from a long dream. The dark shadows of the trees had turned different shades of purple, mirroring the dawning sky. 

Elerrina sat still on the damp grass, dark green eyes dazed into the dead fire. She had returned to sit by the, then vibrant, fire after Elladan parted into the forest. She had not tried to go back to sleep, so she had focused on watching the hot red flames dance in orange and red over the cracking wood; their sparkling dance slowly shifting into a melancholic waltz until it vanished into the wind, leaving a delicate trace of grey smoke as their only memory. 

It had not taken long until the sun had started to rise in the sky. She had sat there for two hours at the most, but it felt like an entire night. Elerrina heard Elrohir start to stir on the spot on the grass near to her left, where he was sleeping. Elladan had not yet returned. 

She heard Elrohir slowly stand up and make his way to where she sat, his light footsteps echoing on the damp grass. She did not turn to look at him, her eyes still fixed on the dead fire, Elladan’s words from the night before still ringing fresh in her right ear. 

“Slept well?” He asked as he sat by her side. 

“Mhm” She lied easily. Elrohir looked around, suddenly noticing the absence of his twin brother. 

“Where’s Elladan” She felt a shiver run down her spine as she remember how close said elf had been of her the night before, how his eyes had pierced into her very soul.

“He took off a couple of hours ago. I don’t know where he went.” 

Elrohir smiled and nodded his head. 

“He tends to do that when he cannot sleep. He will be back soon; he usually comes back at sunrise.” 

At that precise moment Elladan appeared through the dense forest, walking elegantly with his characteristic smirk on his face. Elerrina instinctively lowered her gaze to the dead fire once again, embarrassed from the conversation of the night before. Or perhaps she was merely scared to accidentally meet his gaze, scared to find out if his eyes would be secretive and silent once again, or if they would still be burning liquid silver that pierced through her body. 

“Oh, there you are!” Said Elrohir grinning mischievously at his twin. “We were just talking about you” 

“I am not surprised. Ladies love to talk about me” She felt his eyes flash to her and perfectly pictured his grin mocking her as he sat next to his brother. “They are always following me” 

Oh no, he did not just say that! Elerrina had to contain herself from jumping at him. Was he really going to play these games with her? He was testing her. He knew that she was proud enough as to not mention their little conversation in front of Elrohir. 

She knew that he had spoken the truth, and that she had deeply thanked him, clearly showing that she did not hate him, but she was not going to admit that to anyone. He wanted her to react at his comment, he knew she was embarrassed and was taking advantage of it. And on second thought, now she knew why she disliked him. If she had hated him before, it was nothing compared to how much she hated him at that moment. 

Elrohir, on the other hand, seemed clueless that his brother’s words carried another meaning and only smacked the back of his brothers head as he laughed. 

“Come on, let’s get going.” Said Elrohir as he stood up. Elerrina quickly jumped into a standing position, eager for the conversation to take a different direction.

“If we set out now we will reach Imladris by nightfall. Perhaps we might even run into a patrol since we are so close to the borders.” Elrohir had already started to get his horse ready, and Elerrina had closely followed behind, hoping to be told to ride with the green-cloaked elf. 

With an elegant movement, he swiftly jumped to the back of the horse and extended one hand for her to take. They are definitely taking turns on who rides with me, she thought as she gratefully took hand and was helped to mount on the horse. 

Elladan, who had remained comfortably sitting on the grass, groaned and lazily stood up and walked towards his horse. It was not long before he was also siting gracefully on his horse and started marching at front, leading the way. 

They walked for a couple of hours through the green vegetation. Elerrina noticed that the trees became even more alive as they came nearer to the elven sanctuary. Every now and then the twins would start a small conversation between them, and she was glad that Elladan had seemed to lose his interest in embarrassing her. 

Suddenly he stopped, a hand raised for them to follow his example. Elrohir stopped just to the right of his twin. In the silence, Elerrina heard the unmistakable sound of horses approaching at a fast speed. Her heart skipped a bit as panic ran through her body, imagining the worst. However, the twins’ faces did not show any sign of alert as they waited, unmoving, for the approaching sound. 

In matter of seconds horses started to appear through the trees, their elegant, tall riders dressed in light cloaks, so much like the ones the twins wore. She had no doubt that they were elves. 

Their long braided hairs hung like silk curtains around their faces, in different shades of browns and gold. Their beauty made Elerrina suddenly feel very conscious of her own loose and tangled locks, as well as her human-styled plain dress. 

She watched the elves slightly bow their heads in greeting at the twins, some of them adding a “My lords”. She saw the twins answer with a silent nod, and then felt extremely observed as the eyes of the newcomers wondered upon her. 

“Elladan! Elrohir!” Called the elf at the front on the group, who seemed to be the one in charge. His golden hair fell on his strong shoulders and back, and his blue eyes reflected the smile on his lips as he addressed the twins. 

“Glorfindel!” Said Elladan, his smile mirroring the on of the golden haired elf. “What news on the borders? A large group of orcs heads west, we ran into them. Their behavior was strange; they destroyed a village of the men, not three days ago. We ran into the fresh ruins.” 

Elerrina saw a worried expression take possession of the elf’s face. 

“Strange indeed. We need to report that in Imladris. We have encountered no orcs. Everything seems to be at peace. We are heading back into the valley, I believe we will reach Imladris before sunset” 

“It seems we will be traveling together then” Added Elrohir behind her. Attention was drawn upon the green-cloaked twin as he joined the conversation, and, to Elerrina’s despair, eyes turned to face the speaker. It just happened that she was sitting right in front of him, locating her in the target of curious eyes. 

“I see you two have made a new friend?” Asked the golden-haired elf. If there were some eyes not looking at her before, now they definitely were. Not sure of were to look, she gazed at the blue eyes of the elf who had spoken, it seemed what would be polite.

“This is Elerrina.” Answered Elrohir. Understanding that there would be no further explanation on the matter from the twin, the golden haired elf simple nodded at her and started leading the party forward. 

The twins took position at the front of the group, by the side of the blond elf. It was almost impossible to distinguish whether he or the twins lead the party that slowly descended towards a clear river. To her surprise none of the elves on the group seemed to doubt the authority of the twins. They looked so different now, surrounded by so many of their kind. Her kind. They looked respected, even though they looked far younger than many elves in the group. And, for the first time, seeing the two identical elves powerfully guiding the group, made Elerrina realize that she knew nothing about the elves with which she had spent the last three days. 

As Elerrina looked up from her thoughts she caught Elladan’s grey eyes fixed on her, staring. A smirk sparkled in his eyes as his lips curved upwards in a mischievous smile.


	9. Gaze Upon The Forbidden

It was still a few hours before sunset when the party descended into the valley of Imladris. Houses and balconies started to emerge from the forest in a dreamlike sight. The rushing sound of the waterfalls filled her ears; joining in the joyous song of the trees as their glittering waters splashed the dark, wet rocks. Nothing Elerrina had ever seen or imagined did justice to the sight of Rivendell. No words could be used to describe it. 

Her dazed eyes darted from left to right, trying to absorb every detail, every building, and every waterfall; trying to print every image, sound and smell into her memory. She felt that the atmosphere in the valley was also different. The wind was different, it sung softly, like a distant choir, in a language with no words. It was alive. 

“Do you like it?” She heard Elrohir’s voice ask her.

“It is quite a sight” she heard the dark haired elf laugh lightly at her choice of words. 

Elladan was engaged in a conversation with Glorfindel in elvish language. For a moment she wished she could understand what they were saying because whatever the blond elf had said had caused Elladan to laugh hysterically. 

The party of elves stopped upon arriving at an ample courtyard, at the main entrance of the biggest and most beautiful house Elerrina had yet seen in the valley. The elven warriors started to jump off their horses, their fine cloaks flying in the wind. A group of elves that had formed at the front steps of the house was now approaching them, waiting to receive the homecoming patrol. 

She felt Elrohir dismount in a graceful leap, extending one of his hands for her to take, gently helping her down onto the soft grass. She watched Elladan and Glorfindel both jump off their horses as gracefully as Elrohir had done. 

“It is good to have you back, my lords” said a silver haired elf taking the reins of the three horses and leading them to the stables. Elerrina noticed that two other elves had appeared to lead the horses of the rest of the party away.

She wondered, confused, at the tittle the elf had used upon addressing the twins. The elves from the patrol had also used such title. She wondered if the twins belonged to some noble or rich family in the valley, perhaps the sons of a well-known warrior, or a member of the council. 

“Thank you, Maedil” said Elrohir tipping his head forward. “Have you seen Lord Elrond?”

“I believe he is in his study” The twins nodded their heads in thanks as they turned and walked quickly into the house. She watched as they climbed the front steps two at a time, Elladan stopping by a fair haired elven maiden to give her some words in elvish before the two mirror images disappeared into the house, Glorfindel following close behind. 

She stood there in the spot, not sure of what to do or where to go. The twins had given her no indication for her to follow them, nor did they look back as they stormed into the house. 

“My lady” Elerrina turned to face the fair-haired maiden who had, from what it seemed, just received orders from Elladan. She looked young, her pale features finely delineated and a sparkle of gentleness gleamed in her morning sky eyes. 

“I am Faelilla” she said with a slight bow, her platinum locks cascading at the sides of her face. “If you would follow me, I will show you to a room” 

“Thank you” She answered also bowing her head slightly. “I am Elerrina”

The fair-haired maiden smiled before indicating Elerrina to follow her into the house. The entrance hall was simply majestic. Large windows with pointed arches filtered the light into the ample space and richly carved columns rose in an elegant march, seeming almost too delicate and frail to support any weight. 

Faelilla guided her through an enchanted labyrinth or arched corridors and wide halls, up staircases that curved from the ground and interior gardens, until they entered into a lighted room. A large bed was placed against the west wall in the center of room, its soft lavender covers shining strangely at the sunset light. A balcony, with matching soft lavender curtains, extended out of the east wall, overlooking the gardens. 

Half an hour later, Elerrina found herself washed and wearing a pale rose elven dress, embroidered in thin, delicate patterns at the neckline. Faelilla was patiently carrying her task of braiding her golden hair in the elven manner, when someone knocked lightly on the door. Faelilla looked at her expectantly, and Elerrina understood that it was up to give permission to enter the room. 

“Enter” she said calmly. It felt strange to give the order, especially in a foreign place where she expected to be on the receiving end of any order. Se heard the door opening and saw a young dark haired elf appear in the doorway.

“My ladies” he said, bowing slightly at the two occupants of the room. Then he turned to look directly at Elerrina and added “Lord Elrond will see you now,Lady Elerrina” 

Elerrina nodded her head, stood up straight and thanked Faelilla before following the dark haired elf into the corridors of house. Lord Elrond’s house, she thought, as she understood finally where she had been brought. She had not expected to be brought into the Master of Rivendell’s house, much less be offered a room there.   
Her nerves only grew with every step she took. She had heard plenty about the mighty elven lord from some men in the village. Plenty about how his powers extended over the forest and river. Plenty about his incredible healing abilities and wisdom. Yet, the elf had always remained a painted illustration she had found only in books. 

The elf stopped in front of a pair of large, carved, oak doors with two elf guards flanking its sides. He knocked lightly on one of the doors.

“You may enter” came the reply from the inside. The voice was calmed, yet it carried so much authority and power. 

The dark haired elf open one of the heavy doors and stepped into the room, signaling Elerrina to wait by the doorway. 

“My Lord, here is Lady Elerrina” she heard him say. 

“Thank you, Lindir, let her in” 

She saw Lindir nod at her and nervously stepped into the large study. She saw Lindir gave a respectful bow at his lord before turning on his heels and exiting the room, closing the door behind him. 

The walls of the large study were filled with books of all heights and colors, some seemed relatively new while others looked as if they contained the stories of the first years of Middle Earth engraved on their pages. 

She saw a tall dark haired elf standing behind a large oak desk, and was surprised to see two very familiar faces sitting comfortably on the other side. Elladan and Elrohir sat looking directly at her, both in clean, elegant tunics. Now, without the green and blue cloaks to help her, Elerrina could not tell them apart. Their hairs had also been combed into fine braids attached in a half ponytail behind their heads. Both of the twins stood up as she entered the room. They looked like elven royalty. 

“Welcome to Imladris, my Lady. I am Elrond.” spoke the tall elf, diverting her attention from the twins and back to him. Elerrina felt her heart skip a beat as the mighty character of her childhood stories materialized in flesh and blood in front of her. His dark hair fell elegantly braided down his shoulders and back, and he wore a long formal robe the color of a blue night sky, embroidered in rich silver threat that traced delicate leaves along his heck and shoulders. A silver circlet shone neatly placed on top of his head. His face was ageless, but his silver eyes sparkled with the knowledge of many millennia. They were kind and welcoming giving a feeling of peace she had never felt before. 

Elerrina found herself mute as she noticed how much the twins resembled the Elf-Lord. All three figures in the room shared the same ebony hair, but it was the grey eyes what impacted Elerrina the most. All three pairs of silver eyes were deep and absorbing, showing endless kindness and softness and at the same time piercing into her soul until she felt that she was drowning in a pool of silver. 

There was also something else about the Elf-Lord that dragged her attention. There was some sort of power that surrounded him, a kind of supernatural force she could not comprehend.

“My sons, here, have already informed me of everything” Elrond continued, signaling at the twins with one extended hand as he spoke “I am deeply sorry for your loss. We will be more than happy to have you stay here in Imladris. You are welcome to stay at my house” 

His sons. She knew she must have looked completely taken by surprise because she saw the twins flash her identical grins as their father spoke.

“The twins have also spoken to me very fondly of you. They tell me you are an easy person to like” Both of the twins were fully grinning now. 

“I would say it is the other way around, my Lord” she added “They have been really kind to me, and are easy to like and befriend” 

She saw one of the twins, the one dressed in pale gold, raise an eyebrow at her, pointing out her lie. Elladan. Lord Elrond, however, did not seem to notice the exchange of looks between Elerrina and his sons. 

“I see, I am gla…” Elrond was cut off by Elladan, who suddenly decided to speak 

“In fact, Ada, we became so close friends that Elerrina, here, accepted my offer to escort her to the feast of tomorrow night. Since she is new to Imladris, I thought me and Ro could show her around, especially since she is also unfamiliar with the elven kind” 

He threw her a daring look as he turned to face the Elf-Lord, his face now looking completely innocent and with the most pure intentions. She felt herself burn of rage from the inside. Elrohir, quick in understanding his brother’s game, also turned to look at his father, his eyes as innocent and pure as Elladan’s. 

“ I see” said Lord Elrond, looking warily at the twins, an eyebrow raised. It was clear that he suspected the twins were plotting something, and also, that it was far from being the first time his sons wanted to play pranks on other elves. 

“Thank you, Elladan for inviting Elerrina to assist with you tomorrow evening.” Elrond’s words were kind, but his eyes threw Elladan a warning look.

As the Elf-Lord placed a hand over the large desk while he continued to speak, Elerrina’s attention was drawn towards a delicate golden band around his right hand’s third finger. Upon the laced gold sat a glowing blue stone. Her eyes were lost into the peculiar ring as she felt it slowly start to whisper. It was a soft whisper of foreign words, like an echo ringing in her ears. The ring was alive. She felt the ring surrounded by the same mysterious power that surrounded the Elf-Lord. 

Suddenly she heard Elrond stop talking as he noticed her staring at his hand. He pulled the hand away and folded his left hand over it upon his lap, indiscreetly hiding the ring from her view. 

“Is something the matter, my lady?” He asked. Elerrina quickly looked away from his hand, embarrassed to be caught staring. 

“I am sorry, my Lord. I am only tired” she lied. As she looked into his eyes she knew that he had caught her lie. His grey eyes were now looking at her warily, tense, and yet his composure remained relaxed. 

“I am sorry for keeping you. “ he said as he stood up again, the twins copying him. “I am very interested in speaking with you after you have rested. I will be grateful if you could then tell me about you. I must admit I am curious about you being raised by men.” 

“Thank you, my Lord. It will be my pleasure to tell you about it” As she stood up she noticed that Elrond still held his right hand away from her view. 

In that moment a soft breeze entered the room through one of the open windows. She heard voices in the wind, just as she had heard when they had entered the valley. The whispers were louder now and she heard the ring whisper loudly in return, as the breeze extinguished. The ring was alive, and so was the wind. She gasped as her eyes turned quickly towards Lord Elron’ds hand where the ring was kept from her sight., trying to find the ring that had spoken with the wind. 

The Elf-Lord was frozen in front of her, his eyes deeply scrutinizing her. The twins seemed to not have noticed anything unusual for she could see them as they grazed, confused, between her and the Elf-Lord. 

“You heard that” It was not a question but a statement, She looked confused at the Master of Rivendell as his eyes were kept fixed on her, wary. Elerrina did not know what to answer. Was she not supposed to have heard the wind? She did not know what was happening, or what had caused the Elf-Lord’s sudden coldness. 

She saw Lord Elrond close his eyes for a moment before looking intensively at her again. His gaze cold, defensive and betraying a hint of fear. She saw his self-consciousness as he kept his hand hidden in his rich robe. 

“You saw it”


	10. Beautifully Terrifying

“you saw it” 

The words where slow, almost whispered. His eyes were locked on hers, his gaze intense and perplex. Elerrina felt the fear swallow her mind; she did not know how to react. She was shocked and stunned, and, by the looks of it, so was the Elf-Lord. 

Elrond was quick to regain his composure, standing tall and mighty, only making her feel smaller and more nervous. She threw a look at the twins, silently yearning to find comprehension in their eyes, but they merely looked confused, like two fish out of the water.

Elladan kept shifting his gaze from her to his father, as if somehow suddenly one of them would explain to him what he had missed. Elrohir was looking at his twin, then back at his father, as if trying to understand why the sudden tension. 

“Heard….what?” asked Elladan slowly, as he fixed his silver eyes upon his father. His expression was now worried, serious. She felt her heart fill with fear at his words. He had no heard the wind. He had not heard the ring. She wanted to answer him, she wanted him to tell her that he had heard it and she should not worry about it, but the intense gaze of the Elf-Lord told her that it was better to stay silent. 

“saw what?” Asked the other twin, also gazing at his father, but no answer was given to them. 

Elrond remained unmoving and silent, his grey eyes penetrating her green ones, scrutinizing her. His hand was kept hidden in his robe, the ring hidden from her eyes. She wondered about his reaction. The ring was astonishingly beautiful, the blue stone glowing dimly, whispering in a soft echo into the air. It was a sight to remember, a sight that called immediately the attention of the eye. Cleary someone else must have stared at it before; it was impossible for such a jewel to pass undetected. More so, why did he wear it if he did not want anyone to gaze upon it? 

But there was more to that ring, and she knew it. The power she could feel around it was both fascinating and terrifying. Perhaps in the valley roamed silent powers, deeper and stronger than she had thought. And perhaps they were best kept secret. 

“Have you seen it before?” Elrond’s voice was calmed, every word pronounced in a slow manner. He spoke lowly, not even the elven ears of the guards outside the door would catch a single fragment of his words. 

Elerrina shook her head slowly. “No” she said. Elrond was looking at her silently. 

“What is it?” she added in a faint whisper, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

“This is Vilya, the ring of air” He slowly took his hand out of hiding as he spoke.   
She felt the twin’s eyes sharply turn to look at her. Eyes wide in surprise, as if comprehension had come to them. They knew the ring, it was written in their eyes. 

The ring sparkled strangely at the candlelight that filled the studio. The blue stone had turned dark, it’s smooth surface reflecting the figures of the room like the mirror of a night-lit ocean. A dim glow danced at its core, like an extinguishing blue flame trapped inside a crystal cage.

“Beautiful, is it not?” said Elrond as she turned her gaze back into his eyes. 

“yes” her voice was barely more than a whisper. She cautiously chose her words, unsure if she should speak at all. “Beautiful….and terrifying” 

Elrond nodded silently in response. Both Elladan and Elrohir were standing still, their eyes wide open and cautious. 

“Wh…How?” Elladan stumbled upon his words, his eyes looking into hers, their expression shocked, scared, as if he had seen a ghost. 

“Impossible” whispered Elrohir soflty. He seemed to be the one of the twins who could think straight at the moment. His eyes were looking directly at his father, confusion and worry clearly written in his grey orbs. “The ring is invisible on your hand and you know it, Ada” 

“Not to her eyes” Answered the Elf-Lord. 

Elerrina felt herself turn pale. The twins could not see the ring. Why was the ring visible to her? That question seemed to be in the minds of the other three elves as well, for she could see it clearly in their wary eyes. 

The ring whispered again, the blue dancing flame glowing brighter as the sung words rang in her ears once more. The twins remained unmoving, confirming Elerrina’s assumption that they had not heard this whisper either. 

A knock on the tall oak doors made the four elves turned their heads, breaking them from their deep thoughts. 

“Enter”

A fair-haired elf came rushing into the room, his eyes fixed only on the Elf-Lord, not noticing the other three elves. 

“Your presence is needed in the Healing Wing, my Lord” he said quickly. 

“I will be there in a second” The newcomer nodded and quickly turned around before exiting the room in the same rushed manner that he had come in. 

Elrond took a few steps closer to Elerrina, his eyes fixed on hers. 

“Speak to no one of what you have seen and heard. ” His voice carried such a strong power and command that even if she had wanted to, she could not disobey. Not able to find her voice, Elerrina simply nodded her head. 

“Now if you would excuse me, I have to go. Elladan will walk you back to your chamber. I am sure you had a long tiring day” 

The Elf-Lord then turned around and gracefully exited the room to follow the fair-haired elf that waited outside the door. 

“Come” said Elladan as he made his way towards the door. The expression on his face had softened again, his eyes gentle and polite. “I will show you the way” He acted as if nothing had happened, and she understood that she should do the same.

He opened the massive door and let her go out first before following her outside the elegant studio, closing the door behind him. Soon enough, Elerrina found herself silently following the dark-haired elf through the labyrinth of lacing corridors. She did not know the hour, but assumed that it must have been late for the corridors were empty. Every now and then they would run into an elf or two who would simply bow their heads in greeting. 

“Here we are” Said Elladan as he stopped in front of the familiar door that lead into her chamber. His pale-gold robe shone lightly at the candlelight, sparkling softly when the light met the rich embroidery at his neck. His eyes looked darker in the dim light, holding a strange mysteriousness in them. 

“Were you even going to ask me to the feast?” she snapped suddenly. She had not forgotten the trick he had played on her just minutes ago. A grin appeared in Elladan’s face, making her rage rise once more. 

“What if I decline your invitation?” she added glaring at him. 

“Let me remind you that you have already agreed to come” his eyes sparkled with anticipated victory at his words. “Are you going to cancel on a son of Elrond after you have already given your word? That would not be very polite” 

His mischievous eyes gazed upon her, savoring his victory. He had given her no option in the matter. It made her hate him even more if that was possible. He had used his privileged position to his advantage. 

“Fine, my lord” Her words were spoken slowly, venom injected in every syllable. 

“Elladan is fine” he said as his grin extended to his eyes.

“You are despicable” 

“What happened to easy to like and befriend” he quoted her. He was using her own words against her. 

“I hate you” She wished she could think of something better to say, she wanted to anger him just as much as he was successfully angering her. To her despair his grin remained fixed on his face as he heard her poisoned words. 

“I know” 

Without granting him another look, Elerrina entered her chamber and closed the door in his face. She knew that was a rude and childish act, she had been taught better manners than that. However, her mind was already filled with unanswered questions, she did not want to deal with Elladan at the moment. 

She waited unmoving for a reaction on his part, but only heard his light footsteps silently walking away after a moment. She was thankful that he had not argued back, or complained, but simply walked away. She was tired and scared, and on her mind all she could see was a dimly glowing blue stone.


	11. Infinite Blue

The valley of Imladris looked different during the day. The morning light danced delicately over the walls and furniture, reflecting in gold and silver over every surface it touched. 

Suddenly, in the tranquility of the day, all the events o the night before appeared only a distant dream, an illusion of her own creative imagination. Only the vivid image of the whispering blue stone that refused to leave from her mind served her as a sour reminder that it had not been a dream. 

She was already washed and dressed in a plain light blue dress that had been laid out for her the night before when Faelilla made her appearance through the door. Once again, the sight of the platinum haired elven maiden had the same dazzling effect on Elerrina that it had had the night before. She observed Faelilla waltz on weightless steps towards where she sat, a pale green dress gently held in her hands. 

“Good morning, Lady Elerrina” she asked in a musical voice. “Slept well?” 

“Good morning, Faelilla” she answered with a mod of her head. “I was not expecting to see you this morning” 

Faelilla laughed lightly at her, the sound leaving her mouth like wind chimes. 

“I am a chambermaid, my Lady, and I have strict orders to make sure that you are comfortable. If you need anything you just need to send for me” 

Elerrina was dumbstruck. She had not expected to have a chambermaid. She had grown up in a small house only with Naeraviel, and had learned how to cooperate in the house chores. 

“Here I bring a dress for you to wear tonight. Isn’t it beautiful?” Continued Faelilla with a smile on her lips. 

Elerrina turned her attention to the forgotten dress in the maid’s hands. It was indeed beautiful. The pale green fabric was soft and weightless, dancing with even the slightest breeze. The neckline and shoulders were thinly embroidered in sparkling silver. 

“It is beautiful” was all that she managed to say as she played with one of her golden strands of hair. It seemed that Faelilla had picked the most stunning dress in Arda for her to wear. 

“Here, let me help you with your hair” Said the fair-haired elf as she placed the dress on the bed and started slowly combing through Elerrina’s long golden hair. 

“Faelilla…tell me about the feast” she said nervously. She did not know what to expect of it. She did not know anything about being an elf, let alone attend an elven ball. With an elven lord, she reminded herself. There surely had to be a million of protocol rules and manners she did not know. 

Faelilla only laughed slightly at her nervousness. 

“There is nothing to worry about” she said reassuringly. “May I ask who is escorting you?” 

“Ell…I mean, Lord Elladan” she corrected herself. They were no longer traveling in the woods, and elves seemed to be very formal when it came to the Lords of Rivendell. The name sounded strange as it left her mouth, as if she was talking about someone she did not know at all. And part of that was true. 

“You are in good company. The twins are very noble and kind hearted, even though they do enjoy having a little fun. We enjoy having them back in the house, it is never the same when they are out hunting, it becomes too peaceful and quiet.” 

“Do they go out very often?” She asked, determined to find out more about the identical elves she thought she knew. 

“Not so much now. There was a time after the loss of their mother, Lady Celebrian, in which they would leave for months. The spent more time out hunting orcs than in the house. It is lovely to have them back smiling and joking once again, the valley was not the same for years.” 

Elerrina felt her heart sink to the floor as her face paled and her soul grew heavy with guilt. The memories of only a couple of nights before came rushing back to her as accusing witnesses. 

“You cannot make time go back. Your place now it with your kind, you belong among us. You do not belong to the mortal world, they cannot escape death.” Said Elladan sitting behind her on the horse. She did not say anything, and he leaned back again, sitting straight behind her once more. 

“I am sorry for your loss” He added in a low voice. 

“Like you would know how it feels” She snapped as she turned her head back to face him, her eyes glaring with the venom in her tone. 

With the corner of her eye she saw Elrohir tense and look down, suddenly interested in his lap. Elladan kept his gaze fixed on her, deep and welcoming, and she thought she could see only for a split second a flash of sadness cross his stare. 

“I’ve heard it’s hard” he said, still looking deeply into her eyes. Elrohir was still looking down, his body tensed. 

They did know how she had felt. And yet they did not say anything to her, they had allowed her to be angry, to grieve, to take her anger on them. Suddenly she felt selfish, embarrassed of her childish behavior. What had Elladan done to deserve her bitterness? The twins had done nothing but help her. 

She had hated his arrogance, his carefreeness, that sparkle in his eyes that said he could do as he pleased. But that had not been the case. He had allowed her to do as she pleased. And even more, she had never offered a single kind word to him, she had never bothered to get to know him, had never answered any of his questions. 

“Now you look like an elven princess” said Faelilla as she put the comb away. “Come, breakfast is ready and you must be hungry”

Without a word Elerrina stood up and followed the silver-haired elf out of the room. She walked silently behind the older elf, her thoughts still heavy with guilt. Faelilla showed her into a large hall with a long table in the middle. She noticed many elves sitting there already enjoying the meal and chatting peacefully among each other. 

She recognized Lindir, the dark-haired elf who had taken her to Lord Elrond’s study the night before, sitting near the middle of the table. She was also able to distinguish some of the faces of a couple of warriors she had seen in the patrol they had encountered while entering into the valley. The majority of the faces, however, were completely new to her. 

“Elerrina, come join us” She was somewhat relieved to see two very familiar faces looking at her close to one end of the table. The twin who had spoken was standing up showing her a seat for her to take, and she noticed that, once again, she could not tell them apart. 

She made her way to the seat offered to her across the table from the twins and sat down. Both of the twins were wearing richly embroidered tunics in the same light grey color that matched perfectly with their silver eyes. As the first twin sat back down on his chair, Elerrina noticed for the first time the elf that was sitting to her right, and had been previously engulfed in conversation with the twins. 

He had light blond hair that fell flawlessly on his shoulders and back, braided in the same elegant manner the as the twins’ dark hair. His eyes were the color of a clear sky, infinite like a vast calmed sea. 

“Elerrina, this is Prince Legolas of Mirkwood. He arrived early this morning” said the first twin signaling towards the blond elf at her right. The second twin stayed silent again, his silver eyes piercing her dark green ones and she knew then that that twin was Elladan. She felt the guilt rise again inside her, but did not show it. 

Eager to escape the piercing eyes, she looked to the elven prince. The blond elf had looked up at her with a soft smile drawn on his lips. It was when she gazed into the pair of infinite blue eyes that everything seemed to stop around her. She felt her heart stop as her mind swam in the sea colored eyes, drowning in the softest blue, waking up a long lost memory inside her mind. A memory she could not find and yet remembered. 

It was not the first time she had seen that elf...


	12. To Let You Try

It was not the first time she had seen those eyes. It hit her like bucket of iced water and she froze, her mouth incapable of producing any sound. Her mind was driving her crazy, trying to place Legola’s face in a memory, but she was not able to find it. She had seen him before, however she could not remember where or when. He did not seem to recognize her either, and all of her hopes of finally having someone who knew who she was vanished. 

“A pleasure to meet you, my Lady” he said politely for she was not able to say anything. She searched into his blue eyes for a hint of recognition, but could find none. However, his eyes were not completely oblivious. He was looking at her strangely, observing her. 

“The pleasure is mine, my Lord” she said formally as she took her seat in front of the twins, her green eyes never leaving the sea of blue. She was not sure of how she should address an elven prince. He laughed lightly at her obvious hesitation when speaking. 

“Please call me Legolas. There is no need to be formal” he said with a smile before turning his face to the twins again and reassuming his conversation with Elrohir. 

He looked familiar, but she was not sure of anything anymore. She decided to let go of the matter temporarily, she would think about it later. She was not able to think straight at the moment for all she could feel were Elladan’s silver eyes staring intently at her. 

He had not addressed her yet; he merely sat in silence, his eyes piercing into her green ones. She wanted to look away but found that she could not do it. She was trapped again in the pool of liquid silver, unable to break the stare. She could not tell if he was angry with her for her behavior the night before. She had, after all, thrown the door on his face. She was only sure of one thing, he was waiting for her to take the first step. 

She knew that she had behaved rudely, and, after her conversation with Faelilla earlier in the morning, she realized that she owed him at least a kind word. 

“Good morning, Elladan” she said at last, proud of herself for the friendly tone she used. 

A grin grew on Elladan’s lips as his eyes sparkled with victory.

“Good morning, Elerrina” He had gotten what he wanted, and she had to remind herself that she would try and be friendly. She could already feel her anger rising. He had not been angry with her, he had only wanted her to have the first word. He knew she would feel guilty for being rude. 

“Did you sleep well?” she asked. She was tired of him always winning, always able to read her perfectly and predict her reactions. 

Now it was her turn to grin. Elladan looked speechless, his perfect eyebrows raised over surprise filled grey eyes. She had finally managed to catch him out of guard; he had clearly not expected her to be nice. 

However, his reaction only lasted a second. His grin grew wider and his eyes looked at her mischievously, silently communicating to her that if she was going to play, so was he. 

“I slept very well, thank you. I hope you found yourself comfortable last night. I assume you enjoyed sleeping on a bed after many nights in the woods.” 

Of course he would know how to play the nice part better than her. He sounded lordly, like a host formally welcoming his guests and she wondered how many times he had had to do so in real life. She opened her mouth to answer but was suddenly cut off by someone else. 

“Are you enjoying your time in Imladris, Lady Elerrina?” She turned to her right to face the blond prince and had to force her mind to concentrate on his words and not on trying to find a long lost memory. 

“Please, call me Elerrina” her forest green eyes penetrated into his blue ones. They were so familiar to her, and yet so strange. “I only arrived last night, but I am enjoying it immensely. I have never seen a place this beautiful” 

“Well you arrived just in time for the celebrations,” said Legolas with a soft smile on his face. “Are you attending the feast tonight?” 

“Ye…”

“She is going with me” Came Elladan’s voice attracting her attention from the prince and back to him. She saw Elrohir chuckle next to him, nearly choking on his freshly made orange juice. Legolas too laughed softly. 

“Do you think your sister would like to go with me, Dan?” asked Legolas. 

“You have a sister?” asked Elerrina looking directly at Elladan. 

“She would be elated. You know Arwen adores you” said Elrohir. 

“I do have a sister” said Elladan looking at her. 

“You never mentioned it” she answered accusingly.

“You never asked” he said grinning. She threw him a deathly glare, but before she could think of anything else to say, their conversation was cut short. 

“Elrohir, Legolas, are you ready for your training? Come with me” said the respected elf she recognized as Glorfindel while walking into the large hall. 

Both elves in question nodded their heads and stood up from the table, smiles on their excited faces. 

“What about me?” demanded a confused Elladan, his eyes staring at the golden haired warrior. Glorfindel smiled widely before answering his question. 

“Your Adar said that you had kindly offered to show Elerrina around.” The smiling eyes of the older elf communicated that he was enjoying the look on the face of the son of Elrond. 

“Of course” said Elladan politely. She had expected him to protest, but he knew how to play his role better than she thought. When she turned to look at him she found him staring at Glorfindel with pure innocent eyes. “Can we watch at least?” 

The golden-haired elf narrowed his eyes at the young lord in warning before nodding his head yes. Without another word he turned around and walked out of the room, Elrohir and Legolas following close behind. Imitating Elladan, she stood up from the table and followed him in silence into the labyrinth of pointed arches. 

They walked into a garden before stopping at an ample courtyard. She saw Elrohir and Legolas follow Glorfindel into a small building. Instead of following, Elladan searched for a comfortable place on the grass and sat down. Silently Elerrina made her way towards the spot under a tree in which the dark-haired elf sat and lowered herself to the ground next to him. 

He did not turn to look at her but remained sitting, casually looking at the building into which his twin and friend had disappeared, his eyes sparkling with the same carefreeness she hated. Curiosity suddenly took the best of her. She wanted to know him. For the first time she wanted to at least try. 

Elerrina understood that he was not going to start a conversation. She had given him no reason to do so. She had been clear to him about how much she disliked him, even if he did not believe it. And yet, now that she thought about it, he had given her no reason for her to hate him. 

“Will you tell me about her? You sister I mean” she asked softly in a friendly and kind voice. He quickly turned to look at her, his eyes reflecting the mischievous smile on his lips. 

“No” he said as he turned around to face the front again. She felt her anger grow inside of her once more. She could now see Elrohir and Legolas emerging into the courtyard with shiny swords in hand. 

“Will you tell me about you?” she tried again, her tone slightly less friendly now. This time Elladan did not even turn to face her. 

“No” 

“Will you tell me anything at all?” she snapped, finally out of her patience. This managed to make Elladan turn to face her, his deep grey eyes observing her confused. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, his silver eyes burning into her dark green ones. 

“Trying to make conversation with you” she said angrily, unable to break his gaze. 

“Why the sudden interest?” 

“Why don’t you want to share anything?” 

“You have never seemed willing to share any details about you either” 

“Ugh!” Frustrated she turned her gaze to the front. Legolas and Elrohir had started crossing their swords. They moved swiftly, almost dancing in perfect coordination to the sound of clashing metal. 

“I am trying” she said, lifting her eyes to look at Elladan once more. He was looking at her patiently, his face completely expressionless and his liquid silver eyes expectant. She took a deep breath before continuing. 

“I am trying to know you. I am trying to be kind to you for once. I am sorry, for the way I have behaved. I do not hate you. I have taken my anger and frustration on you and Elrohir, but I now understand you did not deserve any of it…I have behaved childish” 

She saw the deep pair of grey eyes soften at her and she was welcomed into an ocean of silver, so transparent and honest, so understanding. The sparkle of playfulness was now gone as well as his perfect façade that had always been an enigma to her. For the first time he was letting her look into him. The lightest of smiles curved on his lips. 

“You have behaved human” he said, his tone understanding and calmed. He turned to face the fighting elves, the smile still present on his lips. 

“My sister is named Arwen Undomiel, known as the Evenstar of her people. She is beautiful, and very much loving and caring.” She was taken aback by the kindness and friendliness in his voice. There was not even the slightest hint of anger. 

“You are not angry with me?” she asked surprised. 

“No” he said looking into her eyes again. “I knew your reasons all along. But if I answer your questions, you have to answer mine.” 

For the first time since she had met the dark-haired elf, she smiled at him. His proposal seemed fair. 

“I can do that” she said nodding her head slightly. 

“And, Elerrina” he started, looking deeply into her green eyes. A true smile was present on his lips. “Would you give me the pleasure of escorting you to the feast tonight? I should have asked you from the beginning. You do not have to go if you do not want to. You are free to choose” 

She felt herself drown in the pool of liquid silver, so honest and open, inviting her to look into him, freely welcoming her into the softest silver sea. His stare was not trapping, as it had been so many times before, instead it was inviting, opened freely for her to stare or look away if she pleased. He was giving her a choice. 

“I have already agreed to go. It would be rude of me to cancel on a son of Elrond after I have already given my word. It would not be polite” she said using the same words he had used on her the night before. 

She saw his characteristic grin appear on his face as his eyes sparkled again with mischievousness. But she did not hate it anymore…


	13. Of Pale Green and Blue

Night had already fallen over the valley of Imladris as Elerrina sat in front of a large mirror inside her chamber. Faelilla was carefully combing through her hair, tying some golden strands into delicate braids on the back of her head. 

“That color looks lovely on you. You will have every single ellon begging for a dance tonight” said Faelilla as she tied the last golden braid and smiled broadly at her. 

Elerrina smiled at the silver-haired elf as she studied her image in the mirror. The pale green fabric fell weightlessly around her, softly dancing at the slightest breeze. The sleeves reached only about a couple of inches bellow her bare shoulders before they fell like long strands of delicate fabric nearly to the floor. The neckline and shoulders were embroidered in sparkling silver thread in delicate patterns. The dress was stunning, and the pale color accompanied perfectly the darker shade of her green eyes. 

“This is the most beautiful dress I have seen” She said thinking of all the plain human dresses she had worn many times, and the slightly pretty ones she had seen Naeraviel wear every once in a while for important occasions. Those dresses could not be compared to even the plainest elven-made dress. 

Faelilla’s smile broadened as she placed her hands on the Elerrina’s shoulders. 

“I must admit it is also one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen” Her morning sky eyes sparkled with joy as she looked into Elerrina’s green ones. Oh, how she loved Faelilla already.

“Thank you, for picking it out for me” 

“Oh, but it was not me who picked the dress, my Lady” said Faelilla as she put the silver comb away. “Lord Elladan picked it himself, as a present for you, of course. He brought it personally to me this morning so that I could bring it to you.” 

Elerrina felt a smile form on her lips and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at the silver-haired elf. Surprise was clearly written on her big green orbs. He was proving to be a bigger mystery than she had thought. So the dress had been a present. 

“But why did he not come bring it to me himself?” She did not know what to think of the situation, but the image of Elladan suddenly appearing on her door with a dress on his hands was both sweet and laughable. Had he not wanted her to know the dress was a present from him? Or had he thought that she would not accept it coming from him?

“He did not tell you, did he?” The sincere smile on Faelilla’s lips told her that it was not a question but a statement. “Sometimes, even after centuries, I find myself thinking that I will never understand the young Lords’ reasons.”

A light knock on the wooden door made the two elves in the room look up from their conversation. Without a word, the silver-haired elf walked towards the door and opened it. 

“Good evening, my Lord” she heard Faelilla say. 

“Good evening to you too, Faelilla” she heard a too familiar voice answer back and she turned to face the newcomer. 

There on the doorway stood Elladan dressed in an elegant light blue robe, the same pale shade of his traveling cloak, Elerrina noticed. The silver embroidery of leaves on the neck and chest brought out the grey color of his eyes, making them sparkle with their natural glow. His hair had been combed and braided, the dark strands falling down his shoulders and back contrasting sharply with his pale skin. A delicate silver band rested lightly upon his head and forehead as a symbol of royalty. He looked like a son of Elrond. 

Elerrina could hardly believe that the elf standing on her doorway was the same elf that had traveled with her a couple of days ago. The only thing that proved this true was the carefree gleam ever present in his silver eyes and his mocking smile. 

“My Lady” he said as he bowed his head slightly. His words were formal, and yet his eyes looked at her mischievously, and she did not know if he was being serious or if he was mocking the formal greeting that was traditional among elves. 

“My Lord” she answered rising up from her chair and walking towards where he stood. She saw his eyes carefully studying her as a very familiar grin appeared on his face. 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked her as he offered his arm to her. 

Throwing back a quick glance a Faelilla, Elerrina took his arm and he began to lead them through the house. She liked the feeling of his arm entwined in hers, although she would never admit it to him. It made her feel safe and comfortable and made all her nervousness and worries fade away. 

They joined Elrohir at the top of a large staircase. He looked as elegant and royal as his mirror image; the only difference between the two was once again their choice of color. Elrohir wore a formal robe in a deep green shade and a thin silver band, equal to that of his twin’s, rested on his head. 

Elerrina also noticed the familiar face of Legolas standing just behind the younger twin. The image of his infinite blue eyes staring at her made her mind uneasy. If only she could remember. He, on the other hand, looked undisturbed as he smiled at her and Elladan. 

Trying desperately to concentrate her gaze on anything else than the overly familiar elven prince, she noticed a third figure standing with them. Next to Legolas stood a fair dark-haired elven lady that Elerrina had never seen before but was immediately able to recognize. Her delicate features resembled the twins slightly and her equally ebony hair fell in long waves down her back to her waist. Different for the twins and her father, her eyes were a pale shade of blue. 

“You must be Elerrina. I am Arwen. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” She said in a voice that sounded like wind chimes. 

“The pleasure is mine” she said trying to be successful in hiding her stunned expression. 

“You should rethink your choice of words” she snapped in a barely audible whisper to Elladan as he let them next to Elrohir. He had described her as beautiful, but she was way beyond simply beautiful. Elerrina felt plain and common next to this glowing elven princess. 

He acted as though he had not heard her, but she saw the corner of his mouth curve up in a tiny smirk. However, before she could say anything else, the sound of light approaching steps made them all turn around. 

Lord Elrond appeared into view wearing rich burgundy formal robe and the shiny silver circlet neatly placed over his head. His presence filled the space with calm and peacefulness, but at the same time it carried that immense power that made Elerrina feel nervous once again. He looked serene and content as he gazed upon all of the elves waiting at the staircase. His eyes darted to her and she felt them piercing her soul once more.

“Are you all ready to descend?” he asked smiling as he took his place in the front of the line. 

She did not notice when Elrohir answered with a simple “yes” for her mind was once again absorbed by the fascinating and yet terrifying presence of certain ring upon the Elf-Lord’s right hand. The ring glowed dimly, the light dancing slowly inside the big blue stone. And she heard it whisper. It whispered constantly, its power surrounding the Lord’s tall figure and fleeing into the wind every once in a while. 

No other elf could see the strange jewel, nor could they hear it. They remained completely undisturbed by their presence. Elrond also seemed to act completely oblivious to it. His face a perfect mask of tranquility. Only when his deep grey eyes pierced into her green ones she knew that he was aware of what was in her mind. He was aware of the effect the ring had on her. 

“Try to ignore it”   
Her heart skipped a beat as she heard his calmed voice inside her head. Her head darted instantly towards the Elf-Lord, but found him peacefully sharing some words with Elrohir before starting their way down the massive staircase. She did not know how he had entered her mind; she had never experienced such thing before. She felt scared but hid it, determined to follow his example and not let the others know of their silent exchange of words. 

“My Lady” Elrohir’s voice drew her out of her trance and she found him offering one of his arms to her. She accepted it with her free arm and, with her other arm still holding on to Elladan’s she started her march between the two identical elves.

They made their way down with the Lord of Imadris at the front, followed by the twins and Elerrina and Arwen followed just behind them by the arm of Legolas. Elerrina felt a wave of panic wash over her as they marched gracefully towards a pair of huge finely crafted doors. Of course Imladris’ first family would make a formal entrance into the hall holding the feast, how did she not think about it before. Her panic intensified as she realized that was being lead by the twins on either side of her; there was no way in Arda that curious stares would spare her. And above all things, she could still hear the echo of the Lord’s voice ringing freshly inside her mind as she tried her best to ignore the incessant whispers in the air.


	14. Would You Dance

The enormous hall was filled with tables at which sat elves dressed in all sorts of colors, some of which Elerrina had never seen before. The joyous voices in conversation floated in the air like a loud murmur, becoming a happy background melody rather than understandable words. She was sure that the entire valley was in that room. She had never seen so many elves! 

The bright light produced by thousands of candles sparkled on the glasses filled with the sweetest wine she had ever tasted. From her seat at the unbelievably long table especially set higher than the others for the Lord of Rivendell, Elerrina could overlook the entire feast. Her wide eyes darted from left to right and then to left again, trying to capture every image, sound and smell and stamp them into her memory.

At Lord Elrond’s table sat many elves, both males and females, all richly dressed and adorned in jewels. Most certainly all the other lords and ladies and high ranking warriors of Imladris. Silver trays and bowls were bursting with fruits and pastries and many other dishes that were new to her.

She remembered having her heart on her throat as they entered into the hall and found it already packed with elves that waited standing patiently. The ones closest to them had bowed respectfully, smiling and overjoyed to spend time with Imladris’ first family. She had nearly dug her nails into Elladan’s arm when she saw that they were to sit at the higher table. She had felt all the thousands of curious eyes looking at her silently smiling. Lord Elrond had given some welcoming words out loud and was the first to seat in a throne-like chair prepared for him at the head of the table. After that she heard all the other elves in the hall taking their seats. Elladan had pulled a chair for her and waited until she sat before he and Elrohir took their respective seats and conversation erupted in the hall. 

Her panic how now completely vanished only to be replaced by an overwhelming awe that stamped a wide smile permanently on her lips. Glorfindel sat to Elrond’s right, and both elves were engulfed in an animated conversation, the golden-haired warrior laughing hysterically. By the look on their faces Elerrina guessed that they must be close friends. Next to Glorfindel sat a dark-haired elf she did not know, but seemed to be another close friend by the way he was also engaged in their conversation. Legolas sat across from her with Arwen to his left, and Elladan and Elrohir sat on either side of her. 

She could feel Elladan’s mysterious grey eyes fixed on her, melting into her very soul. The closeness of his body sitting next to her at the table made her feel nervous. She tried hardly to avoid looking at his direction but her eyes betrayed her every two minutes, looking away quickly once they met the deep silver gaze. 

“You should see your face” said Elrohir at her left. He was grinning widely, his eyes sparkling with mischievousness. It would never stop to surprise her how identical the twins were. 

“What?” she said defensively, her cheeks turning pink. Elladan chuckled to her right and she turned her face to him. He opened his eyes wide and blinked many times turning his face from left to right in a mocked imitation of her awe. Legolas burst into laughter and Elerrina unsuccessfully glared at the older twin. She was angry but the look on the grey eyed elf was simply too hilarious. 

“Thant is just…”she turned to look at Elrohir as he spoke. 

“How you look” finished Elladan and she turned her face again to her right. She felt that if they continued to finish each other’s sentences she would harm her neck by the end of the night. 

“Oh, do not listen to them, Elerrina. You look adorable” said Arwen smiling broadly at her. She smiled back at the stunning elven lady and tried to see that as a compliment. 

“You do look adorable” She felt Elladan’s nearly inaudible whisper on her right ear, his warm breath on her skin made shivers run down her back and caused her heart to accelerate. 

“really?” she whispered back in a mocking tone. “It must be my beautiful dress that Faelilla picked for me this morning” 

The playful smile on her face spoke clearly the intended message behind her words. He grinned in response quickly catching the indirect message and laughed softly, his surprised eyes turning to the front as he shook his head lightly and quickly grabbed his glass of wine and sipped from it to avoid having to answer. 

Elves all over the hall had started to stand up form their seats and dance gracefully in the center of the large room. She saw Legolas stand up extending a hand to Arwen and watched them make their way to join the waltzing elves. 

She saw a dark-haired lady dressed in a gorgeous lavender dress nervously start to make her way towards where they sat. 

“Would you like to dance?” Elrohir said quickly extending a hand for her to take. His grey eyes were so silently pleading her to accept. 

“I would love to, although I am not sure I know how to” she admitted as she took his hand and let him lead her towards the dancing crowd. 

“I will lead you” out of the corner of her eye she saw the dark-haired lady saying something to Elladan before he stood and led her to the dance floor.   
Suddenly understanding Elrohir’s move, Elerrina could not help but laugh lightly. 

“Were you trying to avoid her?” she asked as the younger son of Elrond placed his hand on her waist and started leading her into a soft waltz. 

“Who?” his eyebrows raised with the question and his eyes looked like those of an innocent child, something she knew he was not. 

He sighed before admitting the truth to her 

“Yes. Although I would have said yes if she had managed to ask me for a dance” she had no doubt he would have accepted. The twins were well-mannered lords and would never be rude to a lady. “Elladan will kill me later.” He said laughing lightly. She did not ask for details but was somehow sure that this was not the first time the girl had wanted a dance with one of the twins.

She turned around to look at the other twin who was now gracefully leading the dark-haired lady around the floor. His face did not betray any discontent and the lucky lady seemed close to passing out of happiness. She did not blame her. His pale blue robe moved around him softly, the embroidery sparkling in silver and his dark hair fell like silk over his shoulders as he leaned his head to look down at the shorter lady. 

She also spotted the Lord of Imladris moving gracefully, accompanied by a beautiful blond lady. The ring on his hand had not stopped whispering the whole night but it was becoming considerably easier to ignore. Suddenly she remembered the feeling of his voice echoing inside her head. 

“Elrohir?” she said looking into his sincere grey eyes as they moved softly among the dancing couples. 

“Yes?” 

“Can you and Elladan speak through your minds? She phrased the question as to not give away hints of what she was really curious about. She did not want Elrohir to ask her why. “I have seen you stare at each other silently as if you were communicating” 

“Yes” he said smiling at her curiously, trying to understand her sudden interest. “We are twins and therefore we share a very strong bond that allows me to go into his mind just as easily as he can go into mine”

“Is that only between twins?”

“No. Elves also share bonds with their family members. I can silently communicate with my father and sister, although I can only speak to them but not go inside their minds and thoughts as I do with Elladan. Bonds are also created by strong friendship and time, I am sure that Glorfindel is able to reach my father’s mind if he wishes to.”   
“Could you not speak into another elf’s mind who is not your family or a well known friend?” His eyes were looking at her questioningly but she was glad when he did not interrogate her. 

“No. It would require a very old and powerful mind to do that. I know that Lady Galadriel, my grandmother, can do so, but her mind powers are far beyond natural. The only ever known elf to be able to reach a stranger’s mind is my father, but he can only do so while submerged in a trance. I have seen do this many times when his healing energy is required, but it takes time and immense concentration.” 

That had been exactly what she had wanted to know, but it did not ease her mind. On the contrary it confused her more. Why and how had the Elf-Lord been able to speak into her head so easily and not even give a hint of concentration or effort? 

Elladan suddenly appeared behind his twin and placed a hand on his shoulder for him to step away. His mirror image grinned at her as he let go of her hand and allowed his brother to take it. 

“I owe you one” He said grinning mockingly at Elladan. 

“No. We are even” He said back maliciously with his characteristic mischievous grin on his lips. She saw Elrohir’s smile disappear immediately and be replaced by a bewildered expression. 

“Why?” Elerrina could hear worry in his voice and could not help but smile in amusement. 

“I told her I was you, and that I would love to dance with her again in another feast, so she need only ask for Elrohir” 

“You did what?!” Elrohir’s eyes widened in horror and Elladan grinned in victory. 

Elerrina laughed hard and she watched out of the corner of her eye the twin in the green robe walk away muttering to himself. But she did not pay attention to him anymore. The only thing she could concentrate on for the moment was Elladan’s hand placed on her waist and his other holding hers as he led them into the dancing crowd. His eyes piercing hers and she felt herself drown once again in a pool of liquid silver with no end and no escape.


	15. In The Secret Veil of Night

Elladan guided her through the floor among the crowd of gracefully dancing couples. He was a good dancer, she noticed, and so was Elrohir. Then again, every single elf she could see in the room seemed to be a good dancer. Her surroundings were fascinating, the elves moved gracefully, almost floating on their feet, and their elegant robes in dazzling colors twirled and fluttered all around them. And yet she did not care to spare a glance on anything other than the one elf she had in front of her. 

His grey eyes had not left her for a second, the silvery color dragging her, pleading her to look at him for eternity, and she could not break the stare. Nor she wanted to try. She had been sure that she hated the elf; the simple idea of him had made her cringe. He could manage to make her rage explode at his free will and now he was proving to her that he could also manage to make her feel butterflies fluttering inside of her. He had complete control over her and he did not even know it. Or perhaps he did. 

The look on his eyes held no playfulness now, all the mischievousness, the wicked gaze that seemed to challenge her with every single stare was gone. Instead his eyes sparkled with sincere trust and content. He was playing no game with her. 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a couple of ladies sitting on a nearby table with their eyes fixed upon her, alert to every single step she or Elladan made, carefully studying them. Their eyes shone with jealousy and Elerrina suddenly felt nervous again, observed. 

Elladan looked at her curiously and then turned around to look at what had caught her attention. After a second he looked back at her grinning widely when he spotted the ladies. Looking at her reassuringly she felt him tighten his hold on her hand, gently squeezing it. He stopped dancing and let his hand slip from her waist to grasp her other hand. He leaned his head close to her left ear.

“Do not let them get into your nerves” He whispered softly. Then he leaned forward and gently placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “That will give them something to talk about. Come, let’s get out of here.” 

Elerrina looked back at the ladies and felt a grin forming on her lips at the bewilderment on their faces. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her for delighting in the ladies’ envy, but she could not help her lips fro curving up in a smile. It did not matter how much they talked, their stares meant nothing to her now. Tonight Elladan was with her. 

Still with her hand in his, Elladan guided her out of the crowded hall to a large terrace. Some other elves had already started to populate the terrace, probably seeking some peace and a quieter area to talk. It was the perfect place to do so for one could still see the dancing couples and hear the music but, at the same time, have a little more privacy.   
However, much to her surprise, Elladan did not stop at the beautiful terrace but continued through it, descending the couple of low steps at its edge and leading her into the gardens. The bright lights from the ball became distant now, and the air danced with the freshness of the swaying dark trees. She could see many bushes full of thousands of flowers which colors had been reduced to simple shades of blues in the darkness of the night, the pale moonlight giving them a soft glitter of silver every once in a while. 

He led her deep into the gardens, walking slowly among the flowered trees. After a while the sound of water softly flowing reached her ears and it was not long until she saw a small creek appear in between the wonder of flowers and trees. The black waters mirrored the stars above and over them a tiny bridge arched delicately, almost floating over the reflected sky. 

Silently, Elladan led her into a beautiful gazebo next to the bridge with pointed arches that seemed almost too fragile to support any weight. She watched him sit down on the bench placed on one corner, and she felt as if she was in a dream. Everything about the place was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen or imagined, but the image of the son of Elrond, tall and handsome, siting under the pale moonlight, surpassed every dream. 

She caught a glimpse of light glittering to her right and found a bunch of tiny white lilies that had started to grow all around the delicate arches. She felt a smile appear on her lips as she saw the pale petals shine in silver under the stars, so spontaneous and yet so regal, their silver sparkle reminding her of his eyes. 

“Do you like those?” She turned her face to look at the sitting elf, his dark hair merging with the night sky and his light blue robe glowing in pale reflections. She nodded as she searched her eyes, her dark green orbs easily finding his grey ones. He smiled softly at her, the movement reaching his pensive eyes. 

“They were my mother’s favorites” he turned his gaze towards the white lilies and she saw his eyes get lost for a moment and she could see a hint of pain in them for a second before he looked up back at her, the smile still on his face. She felt her heart fall to the floor and felt angry with herself for causing him pain, even if it had been just for a moment. 

She walked to the bench and sat down next to him, angling her body so that she could face him. 

“I’m sorry” she whispered looking at her lap. Her long golden hair fell over her shoulders, tracing a weightless curtain to the sides of her pale face. He took both of her hands in his and she looked up to see the smile still present on his lips. 

“Don’t be” he said quietly, his eyes melting into her, looking at her in the same that she was looking at him. She wanted for him to never let go of her hands. “She had to sail to heal, but I will see her again some day” She did not fully understand his words, but did not want to ask any more about the subject. 

Looking back through the trees she could see the faintly glowing light of the feast in the distance and was reminded of all the dancing couples and joyful smiles. They seemed so distant now, so unimportant. Even the powerful ring on the Elrond’s hand seemed like a tiny detail now, unreal. 

“Have you come to feasts like this your entire life?” she asked changing the direction of the conversation. She had never in her life even picture a feast like this one, and it seemed unreal to her that he had probably grown up attending to them. 

He grinned at her, reading her thoughts from her eyes. 

“I have seen feasts similar to this my entire life, but did not attend until I was old enough to. Elrohir and I were only allowed to come down to greet the guests, but then we had to go to bed, something we never did, I should say.” His eyes sparkled with his characteristic mischievousness and it was not hard for her to picture him as small elfling running around the house. 

“I am sure you did not go to bed” she added laughing lightly. 

“No. We would always find a way to sneak out. In certain occasions Adar had to order Glorfindel to make sure we were in bed.” Elerrina laughed again as she pictured the golden haired warrior babysitting the Lord’s sons. She had started to pity the elf after all the stories Elrohir had told her of the pranks the twins had played on him. 

She felt comfortable in the solitude of the night. It reminded her of the many nights they had camped in the sleeping forest, when she had not known anything about him, and yet his presence had been a familiar comfort. His sole presence made her feel at home, safe. 

He reached a strong hand and placed one lock of her golden hair behind her ear. She could not stop herself as her hand moved softly to his cheek gently caressing the pale skin. His hand flew to hers, placing it softly over hers and pressing it in place over his cheek. He slowly moved her hand from his cheek to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on its back. When his eyes looked back at her she felt herself drown again in the welcoming grey, looking at her as if the world around them had vanished. 

Then he leaned in close to her, his face stopping only at mere inches from her and she felt her heart race. He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her face and the heat from his body. It was not the first time he came that close to her, and both times now she had felt her heart stopping inside of her as he looked into her. But this time she was not afraid of him, she would not push him away. She did not want to.  
“Why did you hate me?” He whispered. The sound was pained, not resentful but merely curious as his eyes looked questioningly into hers, pleading for a truthful answer. But she could not lie to him, in that moment she knew that she could never lie to him, could never deny him anything. She could see in his eyes the transparent hurt that her coldness had caused him, all the hidden pain her constant rejection had given him. And she hated herself for it. 

“You scared me.” She said, the truthful words leaving her mouth before she could think of them, speaking the truth she had not understood until now. “The way you could so easily control how I felt and without even knowing it. You could make manipulate my emotions like one could a child, and I did not want to let you try. It angered me, the power you had over me. And I tried to make you angry as well, but never succeeded. I never really hated you. I could never hate you. I was scared I would get hurt. In growing up among men I learned that people die, they leave me, but I remain. Now I do not want to push you away any longer. And why am I saying this to you?” 

Suddenly he grabbed her face with his hands and closed the gap between them in a passionate kiss, silencing her. Then everything in Arda seemed to be at its right place, and the silver moon sparkled above them, accompanied only by the shining stars as their only witnesses. Some meters from them the elves were dancing, others drinking; Elrohir probably still avoiding the dark haired lady; Legolas and Arwen gracefully waltzing to the joyous music; Glorfindel animatedly chatting with the Lord of Imladris; but they were a distant memory now, oblivious to them and their whereabouts. 

Elladan broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. His hand entwined in hers and she felt butterflies dance inside her stomach. She gazed into his eyes, the deep silvery grey sparkling dimly under the moon looking at her lovingly, and she felt that she belonged there, inside those eyes. 

“I would never hurt you, Elerrina” He said, and she believed him. Yet she had hurt him before. 

She heard him chuckle softly as he touched one strand of her hair with a hand, the sweet sound awarding a smile from her. 

“Whoever named you must have seen you at night. Elerrina, crowned with stars. It fits you” she laughed lightly and was aware of the way the starlight reflected her golden locks, almost as if they were placing themselves on top of her head. 

“My foster mother, Naeraviel did. She did find me at nighttime, thought I never asked for details” 

All of the sudden the air echoed with loud noises and cheers coming from the distant ball. She could hear the elves talking animatedly as they walked out of the hall in a big crowd and into the open courtyard. She and Elladan both turned their heads towards the noise, the dark haired elf grinning at the sounds. 

“Its midnight already” She looked at him questioningly, her eyebrows rose expecting an explanation. “ It is tradition to fill the river with floating candles at midnight for the feast, everyone puts a candle into the water, so there end up being thousands of them.” 

“Should we go see it?” she asked, her eyes shining with excitement. He laughed at her awe again and she glared at him. 

“I will show you a better view. Come” He stood up quickly and extended his hand for her to take and in a matter of seconds he was walking fast through the trees, following the river into the forest. All of the noises from the celebrating elves vanished in the distance and she could hear nothing but the rushing waters and the swaying leaves. 

He walked quickly, wanting to get there fast probably before they let go of the candles. After long minutes he stopped and she noticed that they had reached an edge in the forest. They had reached a cliff that overlooked the entire valley. The high spot offered them a privileged view of the entire river, as well as some of waterfalls that fed into it. 

She gasped in surprise as her eyes caught sight of tiny lights that slowly started to appear on the dark waters, lightly being carried by the current. They were few at first, but gradually multiplied until the whole river seemed to be made of golden fire. She did not want to miss a single second of the spectacle of candles. 

However her vision was cut shorter than she would have wanted. The view of the valley between the many trees disappeared in front of her eyes and she felt many images dance in front of her eyes. She saw the river from close, flew all over it, reaching to places that went far from the valley. She then saw trees and the forest, as if she was searching for something. Pieces of the forest appeared in front of her eyes quickly but they did not show anything other than trees. 

A ringing noise reached her ears and she heard the loud murmurs of the ring, crying loudly as the wind hit her face. As soon as the images had come they had left, but the wind had not ceased or quieted down. She saw the river again and noticed that the candles had nearly disappeared by now, led away by the constant river. 

Then the trees swayed again, this time hard as they let out a warning. They spoke of danger, and it was then that Elladan lifted his eyes to meet hers, alert. 

“We have to go” he said in a rushed voice that made Elerrina freeze in place. He grabbed her hand too quickly for her to notice and started running through the trees as fast as he could lead them, their ears and eyes alert to the warnings of the forest. They were too far from the valley and the danger seemed to be too close. 

A pitched cry echoed through the forest, making her shiver involuntarily. He did not need to say the words to confirm to her what the danger was. Orcs. And they were too close to them now. They would not make it in time. 

“Up the trees” He indicated and she obeyed quickly as he helped her up to the lowest branch. She climbed fast, only looking down to check that he was following her into the safety of the dark canopy. He stopped over a high branch next to her and pressed her to the trunk lifting a finger to his lips to indicate her to be quiet. 

She could still feel the wind raging in her ears crying loud words in a language she cold not understand, and images started to appear again in front of her eyes. More parts of the forest; some deserted streets in the outskirts of the valley; cliffs and waterfalls. She felt as if she was flying over the images, quickly moving through all those places. Then she felt a wave of worry wash over her, overpowering her own feeling of fear. She felt worry, frustration, and anxiety. But those feelings did not belong to her. 

The sound of heavy metal boots on the grass below pulled her back to the real world. They were here. They were running fast, armed with black swords and bows and arrows that made dark memories come to her mind. They did not seem to notice them as they ran below them, and she held her breath as she pressed her body closer to Elladan’s.

She heard the wind cry out again and she welcomed it to her, silently asking for it to protect them, to lead the orcs away. Some of the orcs had stopped in their march, and had started to look up at the trees, probably sensing life somewhere or hearing their fearful breaths. 

The wind raged again and she used all of her concentration to plead for it to help. To her surprise it seemed to respond to her, and a strong breeze shook all of the trees hardly, causing a bunch of birds to fly out from the nearby trees. The orcs that had stopped snorted and continued their hurried run, not interested anymore in the surrounding forest. 

She did not get to verify if all of the lurking orcs had continued their march because another vision of images took her mind again. She saw the orcs as if she was flying just over the tree upon which she stood with Elladan. She saw them running and she flew over them. Then she saw another group of orcs, as large as the first one if not bigger, running in a place of the forest she did not recognize. Then a third group equally as large came into view. 

Finally she saw a clearing in a rocky part of the forest. Hundreds of the fowl creatures were gathered in there, and she felt the foreign emotions take hold of her again. She felt fear and the strongest worry she had ever felt. But those emotions did not belong to her. She could feel them, not inside her boy, but inside her mind. And then she also knew that the visions did not belong to her either. 

“They are too close to the valley” Elladan’s worried voice made her mind come back from the visions. “They had never been this close. Why did nobody see them?” 

He was more talking to himself than to her, and she felt as if her mouth had forgotten how to speak. All the orcs were gone from their sight, running fast with an unknown determination. 

“We need to get back” He said once he had made sure it was safe to return. “We need to tell my father.” 

She snapped her eyes up to meet his as she spoke with a shaky voice. 

“He knows”


	16. I See, You See, We See

“He knows” 

She barely recognized the shaky voice that had left her lips. She was still shocked and overwhelmed by the flying images before her eyes and the sudden bursts of borrowed emotions inside of her. 

Elladan looked at her for a long moment, his grey eyes puzzled and concerned, but he did not say a word. He merely nodded, and she felt relieved that he had chose not to question her in that moment. 

Slowly and carefully they descended from the high branches of the old tree. The pure darkness made it hard to watch their steps and the heavy canopy shielded the platinum light of the watchful Moon. 

Landing on the grass first in a graceful jump, Elladan turned and offered a hand for her. Gladly she let herself be helped as she jumped down from the lowest branch, landing rather clumsily on the grass as her feet got caught on her long dress. Thankfully she had his hand for support and he tightened his hold on her as to prevent her from ungracefully hitting the ground. 

Although still scared and shaky with the terrifying images still vivid on her head, Elerrina resented the orcs for their apparition precisely on that night. The dark haired elf had not said a word as he started to lead them back into the safety of Imladri’s gardens. She could see worry clearly written on his grey eyes and was sure that he was lost in deep thoughts at the moment. 

However, the sudden apparition of the disgusting creatures had seemed to alert the son of Elrond’s nerves. He had not let go of her hand, and his hold on it remained tight, pulling her close to him, ready to jump at the slightest threat. But no threat came. There was no sight of the orcs; they had simply passed by them in a hefty run. 

It was not until they had reached the peaceful garden with the delicate bridge that Elladan seemed to relax his grip on her. The pale moonlight shone in platinum sparkles on the dark water and the sweet sound of the sleeping trees served to calm her agitated soul and mind with a welcoming feeling of safety. 

Elladan’s quick steps had now been reduced to a slow walk and he finally stopped once they had crossed the small arching bridge. He turned to face her and she found herself staring at a pair of troubled silver eyes, the pair of eyes that had now become her center of focus. He was looking at her intently; his gaze sparkled with deep concern as he brushed away one strand of her golden hair and rested his palm on her cheek. 

“Are you alright?” Not trusting her voice, Elerrina simply nodded her head. She could hear in his voice that the question was no referring only to the running orcs, but that he knew that something else had disturbed her. She could feel his heavy gaze on her and hear the edge of guilt that his voice carried. He felt responsible for endangering their lives by wondering out in the dark. She hated the guilty look in his usually sparkling and carefree eyes. She felt the need to distract him, to lift his spirits.

“Should we return and find out if the feast is still going? I wonder if Elrohir succeeded in avoiding that lady for the length of the night” She said trying to sidetrack both of their anxious minds into a lighter mood. 

She saw him furrow his brow in deep confusion and look at her as if she had gone insane before he erupted in laughter. The sound was the sweetest sound that had ever reached her ears and she delighted in it, letting out some giggles in return. 

“You are wonderful” he said fully grinning. Before her racing mind could register his movements, he leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her lips. She felt all the borrowed images and feelings, the dark memories and the fear, vanish entirely from her body as his lips touched hers. He certainly knew how to distract her. 

“Now, Ro had better been successful in avoiding her because otherwise he would have deprived me from dancing with you longer for no reason.” 

The playful mischievousness had returned to his voice and she smiled widely at him using his twin bother’s nickname. She had heard both of the twins being called by nicknames before by other elves in the household: Dan and Ro. It made her imagine them as little elflings running around certainly with no angelical purpose in mind. 

“And in that case, what is Dan going to do?” He looked at her, surprised at her use of his own nickname, one of his eyebrows arching up questioningly as he grinned widely. 

“Well, in that case, Dan is going to murder Ro for stealing Rina from him” 

Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow at him, but she could not help a smile from accompanying it. Rina. She had never really had a childhood nickname for Naeraviel had always called her by her full name, yet the sound of the shortened name leaving his lips made her heart melt. 

He was staring at her smiling, his grey eyes bearing deeply into her own green ones and she let herself be absorbed into the loving stare. For a moment she wished they could forget about the feast and the rest of the elves, forget about the running orcs, the images inside her head, their need to return and deliver the news to the mighty Elf-Lord, but she knew they could not. She saw his smile fade as he too realized that they needed to go back into the house.

“Let us go back” he said resting his right hand softly on her back and nudging her forward. As he started leading their way back through the labyrinth of trees and flowers, Elerrina took one last glance at the garden holding the bridge and gazebo. She knew that the image of that precise garden, with the dark waters and white petals shining in silver and platinum under the pale moonlight, would be engraved on her mind for the rest of her life; as well as the image of the eldest son of Elrond sitting silently on the corner bench with his night dark hair falling down his back as his liquid silver eyes reflected the stars above. 

In short minutes, they had reached the ample terrace that led into the great hall holding the feast. Inside, elves continued to dance to the sweet music, or sing joyful melodies, or engage in conversations all around the many tables. The party seemed completely undisturbed, although she noticed that the number of elves had reduced significantly since she and Elladan had last been in the hall.

She saw Elrohir walk in quick paces towards them as soon as he saw his twin brother enter the room. His grey eyes looked worried as he rushed to Elladan’s side sparing only a quick glance at her before his eyes fixed again on his mirror image. He must have known that something was amiss and she guessed that he had felt his twin’s distress.

“Where is Ada?” asked Elladan in a low voice and Elerrina was one again surprised at how exactly alike the twins looked. 

“He left the hall some time ago, I do not believe that he has retired for the night for I noticed Glorfindel rushed behind him. What is the matter?” 

There was deep concern imbedded in the younger twin’s voice as he spoke lowly to avoid being overheard. Taking a look around, Elerrina confirmed that the Elf-Lord was nowhere to be seen, as well the golden haired Balrog Slayer. 

Elladan had not stopped walking, crossing the entire hall in large steps with Elrohir strolling next to him, their shoulders nearly touching. She felt unsure of whether she should follow the twins in their search for Lord Elrond, but Elladan’s hand firmly holding hers told her to walk along. 

“Orcs” whispered Elladan in barely audible voice, and she saw Elrohir’s eyes widen in surprise at the news. She saw grey eyes meet grey in a prolonged silence as a conversation in which she could not participate took place. 

“That is alarmingly close” whispered Elrohir as they exited the now less crowded hall and hurried down the empty corridors of the house. “Do you think Ada knows by now?” 

Elladan threw a quick glance at her before answering to his brother

“I believe he does” 

Elerrina felt relieved that he had not elaborated in the subject or mentioned her at all. She saw Elrohir glance at her again as if suddenly remembering that she was also present. She saw his grey eyes travel from her face to his twin and then to their entwined hands. A chuckle escaped his lips as he looked at Elladan with both of his eyebrows raised. 

“So what were you up to when you saw the orcs?” he said grinning playfully earning only a smack on the back of his head from his brother. The action only produced another chuckle from the younger twin who merely rolled his eyes and continued walking in silence, a mischievous grin still placed on his lips. 

However his grin disappeared as they reached the large pair of beautifully carved oak doors that led to Elrond’s study. These doors were not new to her and, like the last time she had been there, they made her feel nervous of what awaited at the other side. Elrohir cracked the door open without knocking and walked inside without announcing himself. Elladan followed close behind, and she would have stayed outside had not been for his grip on her dragging her along. Both of the twins walked confidently, comfortable in the familiar room, but to her it felt inappropriate to enter without knocking. She felt like a child intruding into a room for the grown-ups. 

The familiar room held the same welcoming warmth that it had had the night she had first entered, and a cracking fire danced vividly on the fireplace. However, there was no one sitting behind the large oak desk, nor on the comfortable seats near the fire. For a short moment Elerrina thought the room was empty until she noticed two figures with their backs to them, standing on the balcony. 

The dark haired Elf-Lord was facing out into the valley below, both of his hands holding tight to the railing as he leaned heavily on it. His head was slumped down, as he stood unmoving seeming not to have noticed their presence. Glorfindel stood to his left, his stare fixed on his lord and friend and his right hand rested on the other elf’s shoulder as if to offer some kind of comfort or support. 

The twins had stopped in the middle of the room, waiting patiently for their presence to be acknowledged and she imitated them. Glorfindel was the first of the two to notice them as he glanced quickly towards them before turning his gaze back to the unmoving Elf-Lord. The prolonged silence felt loud to her, louder than anything she had heard. 

Finally Elrond straightened up and slowly turned around to face the newcomers. He looked tired and his storm grey eyes that seemed to pierce her, usually filled with wisdom and kindness, now looked troubled and pained. His eyes met hers for a moment as the ring whispered calmly on his finger, and she knew then to whom the visions really belonged. She had felt with the images the same presence that she had felt when he had spoken into her mind, and she could see reflected in his eyes all the borrowed emotions that she had felt accompanying the images. However, if he knew that she had seen in his visions, he did not show it. 

His ageless brow was furrowed in both worry and sadness as he silently motioned with a hand for them to take a seat by the fireplace. Elrohir sat down on one of the comfortable chairs and Elladan signaled for her to take the other while he sat on the chair’s arm. Elrond took the seat in front of them but Glorfindel remained standing, placing himself tall behind the Elf-Lord. Elerrina felt his blue eyes observing her and she looked down, unwilling to meet his gaze. 

“Ada, there are orcs in the borders. They are too close, I had never seen them this close to Imladris before” Elladan was he first to speak and the worried Elf-Lord turned to face his eldest son. 

“I am aware of that” Elrond’s voice was calmed and composed as he addressed Elladan, his ruler’s attitude taking over as they discussed the safety of his realm. “How many did you see?” 

“Sixty at the least. They were right upon us, too close to even give us time for a run after we heard the forest’s warnings. What worries me was their behavior. They ran with a purpose, not in their disorganized usual manner. They ran past us without bothering to stop. Some did lurk around once they had smelled us, but continued their run without searching further. We would have been an easy target.” 

Elrohir looked attentively at his twin, his eyes shot with worry at the new information. Elrond sighed heavily and closed his eyes at the news. When he opened them again Elerrina thought she could see a hint of fear hidden in them. 

“Sixty is only a part of them, I am afraid. There are more of them. Many more.” The still fresh images of the three groups of running orcs flipped through her mind again as she remembered flying over them before finally looking at the immense group of waiting ones. She knew that image would haunt her sleep.

“Did you see them?” Asked Elrohir suddenly, looking at his father expectantly. The Elf-Lord nodded his head slowly before answering. 

“I have seen them only a half an hour ago.” His grey eyes turned to look at her intently and she felt them piercing into her green ones. She wanted to look away but his powerful gaze held her still, commanding her to look into his eyes, and she did not dare disobey. “And so have you, I believe”


	17. What Ties Us Together

Elerrina could feel the four pairs of eyes in the room turn to look at her, piercing into her like daggers. Part of her mind wished for her to sink deep into the comfortable chair and disappear, but she remained still, her eyes frozen inside the powerful grey pair of Elrond’s. So he did know his visions had been shared, although, if what she had seen was the entirety of them or merely glimpses, she did not know. And did not want to know. 

“Well of course. She and Elladan both saw them Ada. Elladan just said they ran past them” 

Elrohir was the first to speak, completely misunderstanding the meaning of the Elf-Lord’s words. Elladan, however, remained silent. His eyes were looking at his father and his still frame sitting on the arm of her chair told her that he had not missed what Elrond meant. 

“What do you intend to say with she saw them? Are you referring to your visions?” asked Elladan directly to his father, both elves completely ignoring the confused Elrohir whose gaze now darted to her, wide eyes studying her figure as if he had never seen her before. 

“Precisely” 

The Lord of Imladri’s voice was calmed and composed as he turned to look into his eldest son’s eyes. She would have thought he was merely having a conversation at a dinner table had it not been for the way in which he reached a hand to his temple, his elbow resting on the chair’s wide arm. 

“How is that possible?” The voice of the golden haired warrior made her suddenly remember of his presence in the room. His ice blue eyes had finally left her to look down to the worried Elf-Lord, his voice hinted with confusion. 

“Why did I see through you, my Lord?” Elerrina barely recognized her voice for she had not thought she had the courage in herself to voice the question that plagued her mind. She felt the silvery grey eyes of Master of Rivendell gaze at her quietly, imbedded with the knowledge of many millennia. 

“I believe it was me who saw through you, Elerrina” She felt herself go cold at his words and her heart stopped inside her chest. The look in his grey eyes was the same wary expression that he had given her on the night she first saw the ring on his right hand, as if judging whether or not she was threat. 

“The visions were not mine, my Lord” She was sure of that part: the images had not been produced by her mind. Elrond nodded his hear slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. 

“That is correct. The visions belonged to me. But I believe it was you who showed them to me.” After a moment of silence in which every pair of eyes seemed to direct itself to the dark haired Elf-Lord, he continued explaining. 

“I heard Vilya’s restlessness and I summoned it to look through the valley. I had forgotten the connection you have with the ring, a connection that I do not completely understand. Every vision I called went also through your head, if I am not mistaken, in a chain reaction. You can see Vilya, and now I confirm that you can see through Vilya, and therefore, as I wield it, through me. And yet, my visions were of no use. I could hear the warning, but could find no danger whatsoever, nothing was out of place.”

Elerrina felt the quickly flying images of the river, different parts of the forest, waterfalls, streets, cliffs and more parts of the forest return to her mind. What she had seen had been the Elf-Lord’s search through the valley’s perimeter. She felt embarrassed as his eyes continued to pierce into hers, she felt as if she had intruded in something she was not supposed to see. Yet she did not move, she fought to keep her expression frozen in place, her green eyes staring steadily into the silver ones, awaiting the rest of the explanation. 

“What surprised me deeply was when the chain inverted itself. It was then that I noticed I had shared all the images with you for I then found myself on the receiving end of the chain. I saw the orcs through your eyes as they ran below you two. After you had seen them with your eyes, I was able to find them in my visions and I saw the rest of them. Three other groups farther west, and a large one steady in place. What concerns me is that if you had not ran into them, I would not have been able to see them.” 

The words floated tensely in the air. All the elves that occupied the warm room seemed lost in them, minds working quickly, absorbing the new information. She remained frozen on her seat, as she had been for the entirety of the conversation. Her eyes were kept locked in the grey pair that seemed to scrutinize her very soul. Her mind was racing, if either because of new questions or fear, she did not know, but the rest of her body seemed to have deserted her, not responding to her anxious mind. 

She could hear the ring and see it gracefully glowing upon the Elf-Lords right hand. And yet she had not imagined that the fascinating jewel could hold a connection to her mind, a thread that therefore also linked her to Elrond’s mind. So that was the reason why he had been able to speak into her head a couple of hours ago. It was because of that link between their minds, but they were not directly linked. It was a chain, and the piece that enabled the connection, that allowed for the sharing of images and words, sat elegantly on Lord Elrond’s third finger. 

“That explains how they got so close to the Valley” Elrohir’s voice broke the silence like shattering glass. His eyes travelling quickly form his brother to his father and to Glorfindel, as if not sure if any of them could answer his question. 

“A blind spot” whispered Elladan and she turned her yes to look into his face but his serious and worried expression on his handsome features gave her little comfort. 

“This is not a coincidence.” She saw Elrohir lower his eyes to his lap, frustration clearly reflected on his face. “Three groups of orcs behaving that way and managing to get this close to the borders completely out your sight, is not a coincidence”

“They remind me of…”Elladan’s slow voice trailed of as he exchanged a look with his twin, equal pairs of silver eyes looking puzzled and concerned at the same time. 

“Of the group we encountered while on our trip. When we found Elerrina. It is not the usual behavior. They must be acting under guidance.”

Elrohir finished his twin’s sentence, looking directly at his father. The Elf-Lords brow was furrowed deep in thought and if he had any opinion about the matter he kept it quiet for the moment. 

“Then, whoever or whatever it is that is guiding them knows about your powers. They must know about it to be able to create blind spots. Although I still do not comprehend how this is possible” She saw Elladan hold his head in his hands in a clear act of frustration.

“Did they see you?” Glorfindel’s eyes dance from her to Elladan as he voiced the question. “Did any of the orcs see you? Or do they still believe they run unseen?” 

“No. They did not see us” Answered Elladan lifting his head to look at the golden haired warrior. 

“Good. They were not counting that she would work as our window. I could have a patrol ready to part by the morning if you whish so, my Lord”

Glorfindel was looking at Elrond, waiting for the Lord of Imladris to decide what should be done. His serious gaze held a glint of pain as he watched upon the dark haired elf, almost as if he regretted the inevitable pressure that now fell on his friend’s shoulders. 

“Should we attack fist?” said Elrohir from her right. 

“No.” The Elf-Lord’s firm reply made all pairs of eyes turn directly towards him, expectant. “That would be foolish. We do not know their number, nor do we know their intentions. We will play it as if we had not seen them, if an ambush into valley is in their minds, it will work to our advantage if they believe we are unprepared. However, we do not know if this is the case, perhaps they travel somewhere else”

“No orc ventures so close to an elven realm while travelling! Are you going to do nothing while they prepare to attack?!” Said Elladan suddenly, his voice agitated with anxiousness as he jumped from the seat’s arm. 

“We still do not know and I am not going to make assumptions on the matter, Elladan!” Elrond rose to his feet as he spoke, his voice raised and filled with unquestionable authority while his stern eyes bore into those of his eldest son. She could feel the tension, the fears, the concerns, all floating in the air, making it so heavy it felt hard to breathe. After a moment, Elladan sat down again, reminded that the decision was not his to make. 

“Forgive me” she heard him say as he calmed down some of his anxiety and tried to think rationally. She wanted to hold his hand and offer as little comfort as she could, but every part of her body seemed to have been turned into stone, and she remained merely an observer in the agitated room. 

Elrond sighed as he sunk back into his chair, his eyes closed and a hand to his temple. All traces of the mighty Elf-Lord who had just reminded his son of his place completely gone. 

“Glorfindel” The Balrog Slayer turned quickly to the low voice of his Lord. “Send a patrol tomorrow morning to run the perimeter. Tell not to go out of the borders, it is not safe.” 

“Yes, my Lord” 

“And is Erestor still awake? I want him to appoint a council meeting early tomorrow.” 

“I will send someone to find him” 

“Thank you”

With that, the golden haired elf walked past them and exited the room. The shutting door echoed loudly in the stunning silence and in the room roamed a feeling of emptiness. Both of the twins kept their gazes fixed on their father, their expressions now gentle, concerned and troubled. There was nothing left for them to do at the moment, and yet she could sense by their frozen figures that neither wanted to leave the Elf-Lord by himself. 

Slowly, Elrond rose to his feet and walked towards the large oak desk that laid some feet to their left. She saw him lean his weight on the polished surface, his back to them as he let his head hang down, looking into the many neat piles of paper. 

“Ada..” Whispered Elrohir as he too stood and started to approach the elder elf, stopping only halfway, unsure if he should continue. His barely audible voice was trailed with sadness and concern. 

Elladan imitated his twin almost instantly, though silently. He stood there, his shoulder next to his replica’s as equal pairs of hurting silver eyes stared at the Elf-Lord’s back. Not sure of what to do, Elerrina stood up, but remained by her seat. Her body responded to her again, as if the tense spell that held her frozen in place had finally broken. She felt uncomfortable in the room at that moment, like an extra person in the family reunion. 

As if he had heard her thoughts, Elladan turned to look at her, his silver eyes gentle as wide grey orbs that welcomed her openly. The lightest of smiles appeared on his lips as he motioned for her to go to him, the pained edge in his smile making her heart sink to the ground. 

Silently she walked to his side, unwilling to break contact with those silver eyes that brought peace to her racing mind, even in their troubled form. She took comfort in his closeness and silently he reached for her hand, entwining his fingers in hers and leaning his cheek on the top of her head. She felt useless at the moment, and hoped that he too could get comfort from her presence as he continued to stare at his father’s back. 

“Ada..” whispered Elrohir again, the sound so soft that she started to doubt Elrond had heard it. 

“Go to sleep, my sons” Came the Elf-Lord’s calmed and soothing reply. “There is nothing more you can do for now. Get some rest; you must be tired. You too, Elerrina.” 

The twins hesitated for a second before they decided to comply with their father’s request. Slowly they walked towards the pair of wooden doors, Elladan still holding Elerrina’s hand firmly. Elrohir opened one of the heavy doors and stepped out into the large corridor, she and Elladan following behind. 

“You too should also rest, Ada” said Elladan softly, sparing one last glance at the only figures left in room before he closed the door behind him. 

Outside, the air felt lighter, free from the troubles that had placated their minds. As they silently made their way through the deserted corridors of the house, the conversation that had taken place in the Lord’s study became more distant to her, as if it had happened in a different day and time. The silence made the house feel bigger and the corridors longer, and soon she did not know for how long they had been walking but to her it felt like hours. 

 

They twins led her through areas of the house she had not yet seen, climbing up multiple elegant staircases and crossing regally adorned halls. She wondered if once they reached her chamber she would find Faelilla there, as she had the night before. She wondered if she would be able to sleep at all for the rest of the night, or if her many unanswered questions and horrific images would keep her awake. 

Finally they stopped at the end of an ample corridor, facing another beautifully carved wooden door. She could not see it clearly in the darkness, but knew that it was not the door leading to her own bedchamber. Elladan pushed the door open and walked inside the room, dragging her along with him and Elrohir following behind, entering last. 

The room was a beautiful bedchamber, brightly lighted by many candles. She had not seen a bedchamber as big as this one before in her life, and it suddenly made her own chamber here in Rivendell, with its fine lavender tones, seem small. An oversized bed laid at the center of the room, its pale gold covers shinning in oranges under the candlelight, and the thin tree branch design of the wooden headboard was a craft to admire. An ample rounded balcony emerged from one side of the room, three times as big as the one in her chamber, and she noticed that this one overlooked the whole valley. She could see the faint lights form the tiny houses and the thin platinum gleam of the many waterfalls, all framed by the heavy pale gold curtains. It was Elladan’s bedchamber. 

She saw Elrohir throw himself on the bed comfortably, a sudden grin on his lips as he looked at his twin with his eyebrows raised. 

“So what exactly happened tonight?” She could hear the mischievousness in his tone as his eyes travelled to their entwined hands. “Did you finally kiss her?” 

She heard herself chuckle as a round pillow landed flatly on Elrohir’s face. 

“Go to your room” Said Elladan and she guessed that he had tried to sound annoyed at his brother for teasing him, but could not hide a wide grin from appearing on his lips. 

“Oh believe me, I have no intention in staying here” With his wicked grin still on his face and his mischievous eyes looking teasingly at his brother, Elrohir got up from the bed and started to walk to the other door in the room. She guessed the door probably connected to the other twin’s bedchamber. 

“May I?” she asked turning to Elladan and pointing towards the large balcony. She felt like a child asking a question like that, and knew that Elladan would not mind, but felt that she needed to ask permission since it was not her room. 

“Of course.” Said Elladan looking at her with puzzled eyes. “You do not need to ask”

Giving him a soft smile in return, she made her way to the elegant balcony, her green eyes dazzled by the view of the entire valley before her eyes. It looked so peaceful under the stars, and the rippling sound of falling water murmured a sweet lullaby to the sleeping forest. The tranquility of the sight made her forget all the events of the night, easily erasing all the troubling visions from her mind as her own ears welcomed the song from the cascading waters. 

She heard Elladan approach from behind her, and seconds later she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist as he rested his chin on her left shoulder. She could feel his face right next to hers, their cheeks brushing slightly as she relaxed under the sound of his steady breath. 

“If you would rather go to your own chambers I can take you there, but you are welcome to sleep here if you would like” He whispered softly in her ear, his voice so honest and concerned that made her feel that, in that moment, he needed her more than she needed him. 

“I would like to stay”

She turned around in his arms to face him and wrapped both of her arms around his torso, resting her head lightly on his chest. She felt him place a gentle kiss on the top her head as he softly started stroking her long golden hair with one hand, the other still holding her close to him. They remained in silence, simply standing, until the lullaby from the waterfalls slowly started to drift her away, her mind dancing now to the soft melody as she gave herself to the mercy of her dreams, feeling safe in the arms of the son of Elrond, even if she knew what her dreams would bring to her: Dead bodies floating on the red colored river, and a pair of lifeless green eyes staring blankly at the empty sky above.


	18. Memories of the Morning

She was standing in the middle of the forest. The canopy of trees above her was so heavy that the scarce light able to filter through it traced defined golden lines that danced between the green branches. 

Elerrina turned around, trying to study her surroundings, but the density of the forest was such that she could barely see anything past the trees. The leaves swayed gracefully, dancing at the soft rhythm of a breeze she could not feel. She could not hear them either, it was as if she was only allowed to see the forest, but not really inhabit it. There was no sound and no smell, only the void image of the green vegetation surrounding her. 

She took a couple of steps forward, but the grass under her feet appeared undisturbed, and she could not feel the tickling it usually caused as it caressed her bare feet. She tried touching one of the robust tree trunks, but her hand only made contact with a plain surface, the feeling unknown to her fingers. It was neither cold nor hot, soft nor hard. She could see the wrinkles in the tree’s wood and could imagine how it felt to trace them, but her fingers could not find them. It was as if the senses had been forbidden to her, and she had only been allowed to silently observe, deprived of any kind of interaction. 

Looking to the front, she noticed that the heavy canopy of the forest opened slightly, leading into a small clearing. She crystal waters of a peaceful stream shimmered vividly under the scarce sunlight as they ran animatedly, splashing into tiny wet rocks. Once again, she was surprised by the fact that she could not hear the water as it flowed. The stream was shallow; barely a couple of feet in depths, and the completely visible bottom was composed of many tiny rocks of different shades of browns and blacks. 

However, the stream was not what caught her attention. On the other side of the river, across from her, laid a small figure. The tiny body of a child, merely three or four years old, she thought, was crouched on a rock at the edge of the water. A small white hand extended over the crystalline surface, making small ripples with its tiny fingers. Light blond hair covered the child’s head, and it fell gracefully over his tiny shoulders, hiding his lowered face from her view. Looking closely, Elerrina noticed his pointed ears. It was an elfling.

Like everything else around her, the little elf was oblivious to her presence, and she could only stare at his graceful tiny body as it innocently played with the crystal waters. She could see his little mouth moving to the song of a mute melody as he kept his eyes looking down into the water, hidden under large lashes. 

Suddenly, the elfling turned his face to look behind him, his hand retiring from the water in a fast movement, and his blond hair dancing slightly around his face. She could see his left cheek rise in what was a wide smile, but the smile she could not see for all that was facing her was the little elf’s back now. 

She watched him stand up and quickly dry his wet hand on his tunic before jumping into a fast run. His little feet moved quickly over the damp grass and his arms danced at his side before extending to his front. 

Although the child ran away from her, he was not getting any farther. What changed was the forest around her, and she noticed how the dense trees had transformed into elegant columns, and the clearing had seemed to open into the shape of a large hall. The room was so bright that it was blinding, and the shape of the tall columns seemed to disappear into the light before she could see the ceiling above. The whole room seemed to vanish into a bright white, and she could not see any edge of it. 

She saw a tall elven lady, dressed in pure white, standing before a golden throne at one end of the room. Her face held a wide smile as she opened her arms welcoming the elfling who did not think it twice before he flung himself into the open arms. His tiny arms reached around the lady’s neck, wrapping them securely in place, as his face shone with the expression of an unheard squeal of joy. 

The lady was looking at him, smiling widely as she pressed her nose to his tiny one before placing a kiss on the elfling’s forehead. Her long golden hair danced gracefully around her delicate features as she continued to stare lovingly at the tiny elfling in her arms, her face looking away from Elerrina. 

Suddenly, the delighted elfling lifted his face to look at her, a pair of innocent eyes meeting Elerrina’s, staring deeply into her, acknowledging her presence. For the first time, she was able to see his face. A smile singing with unheard laughter was still placed on his lips, and his eyes met hers with recognition, trapping her in a gaze of a very familiar infinite blue…

Elerrina blinked twice to find that the bright hall and the figures inside it had disappeared. She was comfortable under the soft covers of an overly large bed, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. 

The long pale gold curtains had been pulled closed and the bright morning light filtered dimly inside the large bedroom, casting reflections in gold over the furniture. She guessed it must have been early in the morning, for everything was quiet. 

The image of the light haired elfling remained still fresh in her head, his large blue eyes still looking into her, glowing with the purest innocence. Silently, Elerrina sat up on the bed, the warm pale gold covers sliding form her shoulders. Her green eyes danced around the room until they spotted what she had been looking for. 

Elladan laid on his side, fast asleep on a couch to her left, his head and left hand resting peacefully over a soft pillow taken from the bed. His dark hair laid splattered over the white pillowcase, all the braids undone as it fell loose covering his shoulders and part of his face. He must have been tired the night before for he was still in his formal light blue robe, which did not look comfortable to sleep in. Looking down she noticed that she was also still in her pale green dress from the night before.

She did not remember going to bed, and she guessed that she must have fallen asleep in his arms at the balcony. She did remember his hand softly stroking her hair, and a wave of tiredness washing over her, following his gentle movements. He must have carried her to the bed, and she could not help feeling a pang of guilt as she watched him sleep on a couch in his own bedroom, while she laid comfortable and warm on the bed. A bed so large that she did not even occupy half of it. 

As silently as she could as to not wake the sleeping Elladan, Elerrina slipped out of bed, shivering slightly when her bare feet touched the cold floor. She pulled the pale gold covers from the bed and placed them gently over Elladan, covering him up to his shoulders. She breathed a sigh of relief when he did not wake but continued to peacefully sleep, and a smile grew on her lips as his hand reached unconsciously to grasp the warm covers, pulling them tightly up to his chin. 

Searching to distract her mind, Elerrina proceeded to explore the room. Every piece of furniture was exquisitely carved in delicate details, making the heavy wood seem weightless, like everything else inside the house. A small night stand was placed to the right of the bed, and a silver pitcher rested lightly on the flat surface, along with an upside down crystal glass and a book. 

Taking the book in her hands, she tenderly opened it, enjoying the ever so silent sound of the thick pages as they turned. However, inside she only found the elegant scribble of the elvish language she could not read. Laying it closed back on the night stand, Elerrina made her way towards a large bookshelf placed in a corner of the room. 

She let her fingers dance over the backs of the many books standing on the shelves, lost in the variety of thickness, colors and heights. She chose a tall, green-colored one and pulled it out slowly, softly scanning through the various pages. Once again, her eyes met the elegant scribble that was strange to her. Closing it up, she returned to its place before pulling out a different one, this time a blue one from the shelf below, slightly heavier than the first one. The yellow pages also contained the elvish scribble, but as she turned the pages she could also see some detailed drawings of maps, a thing slightly more interesting than only words in a strange language. 

She closed the book and placed it back on its place, her eyes searching for another one to open. She spotted a red one placed nearly at the middle of a shelf. Its leather binding did not look old, but it looked as if it had been touched many times. Slowly she pulled it out and opened it right at the middle. 

This time, what met her eyes was not the elegant elvish calligraphy, but drawings traced delicately in black ink. She recognized some trees and plants and the shapes of a river and a waterfall. Turning the pages she saw all sorts of figures delineated in the black ink: some elves, more trees, tables, chairs, fruits, horses. The themes seemed to range from the simplest things to the most complicated ones. The drawings were simple, the elements simplified only to the most basic shapes, and some places held dark spots of ink that fallen on the page during the process. She smiled widely at the very cute clumsy lines of the drawings, the proportions were all wrong. Turning to the first page of the book, she saw a shaky handwriting that read Elladan in the middle of the page, clearly produced by the hand of a small elfling. 

Elladan stirred from his place on the couch and Elerrina turned around to face him. She watched him as he slowly sat up pulling the covers down to his lap, a hand running through his dark hair, pulling it back from his face. His eyes moved across the room until they fixed on her, and she felt the stare of liquid silver eyes on her green ones. He blinked a couple of times, probably trying to wake up completely. 

“Good morning” she said softly, unable to hide the smile that appeared on her lips at the sight of his silver eyes piercing hers. She closed the book and returned it to its place on the shelf before she made her way towards where he sat. 

“Good morning” He replied as he swung his legs to the side of the couch. “Have you been awake for long? You could have woken me.”

She shook her head as she sat next to him. 

“I awoke only a couple of minutes ago, not long at all.” 

Truth is she would have never allowed herself to disturb him from his sleep. He had looked so peaceful that she had even wished he had slept or longer, although the sight of his grey eyes, already sparkling with his carefreeness made her glad to see him awake. 

“Thank you for this” He said as he signaled to the pale gold covers with one hand. 

“It is yours. You could have slept on the bed, you know?” 

He grinned widely and shook his head as he stood up and made his way towards the large curtains that kept the light from filling the room. 

“I did not know if you would be comfortable with that” he said as he slowly pulled all the curtains open, the bright morning light sparkling over the pale gold fabric and she squinted involuntarily as her eyes adjusted to the light. 

Outside, the valley seemed completely at peace making all the horrifying images from the night before seem only a distant nightmare. For a moment she wonder if patrols had been sent to run around the valley; if the Lord of Imladris was indeed in council discussing about the new danger now close to their borders; if the waking elves even knew of what traveled just around the perimeter of their safe sanctuary. 

Elladan walked back to the couch and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth, placing a light kiss on its back. She could not help the light shiver that ran down her spine as his lips brushed her skin. 

“Did you sleep well?” he asked softly, his grey eyes piercing into her and once again she felt herself drowning in a pool of silver. She nodded her head lightly, not breaking the stare. 

“Did you dream about me?” A mischievous grin accompanied his question and his eyes sparkled playfully as he leaned closer to her. She raised her eyebrows in a questioning look, a wide smile on her lips. He could be so dashing if he wanted to, and yet she knew just exactly how to answer to his game. 

“No” she said flatly as she took her hand back and placed it on her lap. He raised one disbelieving eyebrow at her and she felt the corner of her lips curve up in a grin as she thought of the words she would say next. 

“I dreamt about Legolas” It was not a lie.

She saw his eyes widen in surprise, completely caught of guard at her words, his mouth hanging open. The expression of his face was one of a child who has just been told there would be no Christmas that year. She heard him huff and look away, his eyes sparkling with anger. 

Elerrina laughed lightly and reached for his hands, her touch making him turn to look back at her. His eyes were suspicious, waiting patiently for an explanation on her part. Yet he looked as if he was trying to figure out whether or not se was only playing with him. 

“Not in the way you are thinking” she said still laughing. His face relaxed at her words and he raised an eyebrow at her. 

“And in which way am I thinking?” he teased her now fully smiling. However the smile did not last long as he understood the totality of her words. His smile fell slowly and his eyes looked into her, liquid silver touched with a look of sadness and worry. 

“You did dream about him” he whispered lightly, his brow furrowed in concern and hurt, and she turned her eyes to her lap, her smile disappearing in the process. 

She wanted to tell him about her dream, perhaps he knew something she did not, but in that moment she would do anything to make that look disappear from his handsome face.   
His hand reached for her chin, lifting it so she could meet his eyes once again. His expression was now only of deep concern, as if he somehow knew that her dream troubled her. 

“Elerrina?” his voice was a barely audible whisper, the sound of her name leaving his lips making her heart melt. He brushed his right hand softly over her cheek as his silver eyes pierced her. 

“Tell me about it” 

And she would tell him. She would tell him every detail of the dream, a part of her longing and wishing that he knew something she did not, an answer to one of her many questions. The other part complying simply because there was nothing she could deny him.


	19. In The Mirror of Water

Long minutes stretched into what felt like hours to her. She remained silent, her eyes staring deeply into the warm gaze of silver, waiting desperately for a reaction on his part. Elladan was looking at her confused, his eyes studying her as if in deep concentration. He had listened patiently as she described the dream in detail, but had not said a single word since. 

She wanted to look away, but instead she held her gaze still, allowing is piercing eyes to penetrate into the depths of her dark green orbs. Finally he opened his mouth and let the words escape his lips, her ears delighting in the sound of his calmed, soothing voice. 

“Do you remember seeing him anywhere other than a dream?” He spoke slowly, as if having a casual conversation over the dinner table. 

“No, I do not. Nor do I remember ever seeing those places before.” 

“Is it the first time you have this dream?”

“Yes” she admitted in a whisper. His lips curved up in a soft smile as his right hand reached to gently brush her cheek. His left hand gripped hers and gave it a light squeeze.

“Do not worry about it. Let it rest for now.” 

She returned his smile and nodded her head lightly. They already had many things to concentrate on at the moment, and she trusted blindly in his judgment. He was well more experienced and wise than her, and she knew that whatever decision he would take would be taken with reason. Yet she could see a glint of suspicion in his eyes that told her that her dream intrigued him more than he was letting her see. 

“Now you tell me what you dreamt of” she said, trying to lighten up the conversation into a more casual one, her smile only growing wider. She saw his eyes sparkle with mischievousness as his soft smile turned into a gin. 

“No” 

“Not even a part of it?” she asked, curiosity now invading her at his playful refusal. His face glowed with enjoyment and she could tell he liked her need to insist. 

“No” he answered once again, his eyes staring at her with their characteristic carefreeness. 

“Why not?” she could not control her desire to know from growing intensively at his continuous refusal. She could not care less about the dream anymore, he could have dreamt about nothing at all and she would not mind. All she wanted now was for him to tell her, to give in.   
“Simply because”

His grin had now grown wider and she sighed in defeat. With a new grin on her face, Elerrina moved a little forward on the couch, sitting closer to him as she grasped both of his strong hands in hers. Her eyes searched his, wide and pleading, and he met them without the slightest hesitation. 

“And if I plead?” she asked softly, trying to make him give in to her, using the power she knew she had over him, the same power that he had over her. However, he merely laughed at her attempt, the sound the sweetest her ears had ever and would ever hear. In a quick movement he closed the gap between the two, placing a light kiss on her lips, and momentarily she forgot about everything else. 

“Your curiosity is something I will never quite fully comprehend” he said, still laughing lightly. 

“Did you enjoy yourself looking through my collection of books?” he tilted his head in the direction of the elegantly carved bookshelf and she felt somewhat embarrassed for searching through his stuff without his consent. 

“I apologize for that, I should have asked you but you were asleep.” She explained softly but he waved it off with a hand as he smiled at her.

“You can look through them as much as you wish.” She smiled at his words as she let herself drown in his eyes of liquid silver. 

“You never mentioned you drew” she said teasingly as the images of his clumsy lines came back to her head. 

“I believe you noticed that drawing is not my greatest gift” 

“Yet, I find it surprising for someone who is so capable with his hands when holding a sword, to be so bad when holding a simple quill.” He narrowed his eyes at her shaking his head, his face an expression of faked hurt. 

“Now, they were not that bad, Rina. Do not exaggerate” She felt her heart jump as his use of her new nickname. She wanted him to repeat it endlessly; to assure her that he was the only one allowed to call her that way, that she was his. 

The sound of heavy curtains being softly pulled open in the room next door announced that the other twin had awakened. She saw a smile grow on Elladan’s lips and a short moment later heard a knock on the door that connected the twin’s bedchambers. 

Without waiting for an answer, Elrohir walked into the room, once again surprising Elerrina in how exactly alike the two brothers looked. Unlike his twin or Elerrina, who were still dressed from the night before, he was wearing a light, dark blue sleeping tunic and pants. His honest, gray eyes met hers and he offered her a kind smile, his peaceful aura reaching her. And yet, his eyes still held some concern from the events of the night.

“Good morning, Elerrina, Elladan” He said politely as he walked towards where they sat. Both elves replied by wishing him a good morning also as they watched him sit on the large bed, facing them. 

“Are you hungry? I asked for breakfast to be brought up here. I do not really wish to sit at the table today.”

She felt the same that he did, and judging by the nod Elladan gave him, he too felt like avoiding the crowded table. She could feel the anxiousness, although slightly dulled, float on the air, and she knew the twins deeply disliked not knowing what would come next. She could feel their anguish and worry at knowing what laid outside the valley’s borders without the security of knowing if it was indeed a threat or not. 

Suddenly another set of images flew before her eyes, changing quickly from one to the other as she once again watched parts and pieces of the valley. She saw the forest, the river, cliffs, waterfalls, some streets, more parts of the forest, gardens. Lord Elrond was checking through the valley, and, from what she saw, everything seemed serene. 

The vision only lasted a second, the images flickering so fast before her eyes that neither of the twins noticed her sudden absence. When the room came back into focus, she found them both still sitting in the exact position they had been one second ago. 

“I guess there is really not much for us to do today,” Elrohir was saying, looking directly at his twin as he spoke. 

“We could spend the day out, go down by the waterfall. Legolas will probably want to join us.” Elladan’s words seemed to please Elrohir, for a wide smile grew on his lips. 

“Would you also join us, Elerrina?” Elrohir’s gaze met her and she was once again struck by the welcoming kindness that lived permanently in his gray eyes. 

“I would love to” she answered widely smiling. A day out would probably be the kind of distraction they all needed. Elladan grinned at her and Elrohir nodded his head in response. 

A light knock on the door made the three figures in the room turn their heads. Elladan stood up and walked to the carefully carved wooden door that led to the hallway outside. He opened it patiently to reveal fair elven maiden with long light blond hair, holding a large tray with their breakfast. 

“Good morning, my lord” She said in a sweet melodious voice, slightly bowing her head in respect. Judging by the look in her eyes, Elerrina thought the young maiden did not really know which of the twins was the one standing in front of her. 

“Thank you, Sylwen, and I hope you also have a good morning” Elladan answered politely, nodding his head to her. She walked past the dark-haired elf, her hands gripping the tray carefully with natural gracefulness. She lowered it gently on a small tale placed in the corner of the room, and made a small bow before turning around and silently exiting the bedchamber. 

The smell of freshly baked pastries filled the room, and for the first time in the morning, Elerrina realized how hungry she was. The tray carried an arrangement of fresh fruits and some cheese, along with bread buns and three crystal glasses of orange juice. 

The door had not yet completely closed behind Sylwen when Elrohir was already at the table, biting into one of the deliciously looking bread buns. Elladan grabbed two of the glasses and walked back to where she sat on the couch, handing her one. She accepted it and took a long sip of the refreshing liquid. 

“Have you had a chance of going down to the waterfalls yet?” he asked her as he took his previous place next to her on the couch. 

“No. I have not really had chance for much.” She admitted. He smiled at her before speaking again, this time to his twin. 

“Did you ask Adar if perhaps he wanted some breakfast brought to him also?” Elrohir looked up to his brother, silver meeting silver in an exchange of looks. 

“I went to ask him, but he was not in his chambers. I doubt he has been there at all during the night.” Both mirror images exchanged another look and Elerrina wondered if they were silently communicating. 

The rest of the breakfast went down peacefully, conversation flowed lightly and easily between the three elves as they enjoyed the fresh food. Every once in a while she would drift out, her mind getting lost in the image of the blue-eyed elfling by the stream, but luckily for her none of the twins seemed to notice. 

After they had eaten, Elladan walked her back to her room so she could change into a clean dress. She had to pay close attention to the numerous corridors and stairs they took, determined to learn how to get there, a task that was proving to be more difficult than she had thought possible. Not long after her arrival, Faelilla had shown up as she now did every morning. Elerrina felt a wave of happiness wash over her at the sight of the platinum haired elf with morning sky blue eyes. 

Now washed and dressed in a clean simple dress, Elerrina found herself pacing once again through the corridors of house along with the twins and Legolas as they made their way out. Both of the twins were now dressed in clean equal dark green tunics. The dark color contrasted beautifully against their pale skin, making their silver eyes glow like stars over a dense forest. They looked exactly the same, and this time there was no difference in color to tell them apart. 

The Prince was dressed in the palest of blues and Elerrina could not look at him without being reminded of the little elfling. However, when his eyes had met hers, they held none of the recognition they held on her dream. They were the same pair of infinite blue eyes, and yet the stare was so different. 

“I saw two patrols go out early this morning, heading in opposite directions. Yet two more had parted only yesterday. Is something amiss?” asked the blond elf as the four descended down a wide staircase leading to the main hall. 

“There is a large group of orcs near the borders. We do not know their intentions nor we know where they are headed.” Explained Elrohir and Legolas furrowed his brow in concern and puzzlement. However, the Prince did not press the matter further and simply nodded his head in acceptance of the fragment of information he had received from the Son of Elrond. 

They ran into Lord Elrond and a group of other elves as they walked through the main hall of the house. The Lord of Imladris looked as powerful and mighty as ever dressed in elegant robes of light gray, yet his eyes looked tired and held a faint glint of worry. Vilya glowed with a dull blue light on his hand but it remained quiet, and she had to use all of her will power not to stare at it. 

Elrond smiled faintly at the sight of his sons and the twins walked directly towards their father, anxious for any kind of new information, Elladan almost dragging her as his hand held hers tightly. 

“May I know what are you four up to this morning?” The Elf-Lord asked and the wave of peacefulness that always followed his calmed yet strong voice filled the room. His gray eyes met hers for only a short second before centering on his sons, and she felt as if he could hear every single one of her thoughts. 

“We are going down to the waterfalls, spend some time outside.” Answered Elladan and his father nodded his head slightly in response before asking another question to his sons. 

“Has Glorfindel returned?” 

“Not yet” this time it was Elrohir who answered, looking up to meet his father eyes, so like his. “I did not know he had also parted with the patrols, but he is not in the house.” 

“They parted early this morning, before sunrise.” Confirmed the older elf. 

“Has anything changed?” asked Elladan, and Elerrina felt that the twins were taking turns in asking the questions. 

“Everything remains the same, there is yet no reason to be alarmed. Now go and enjoy your day.” As the Elf-Lord spoke she saw his eyes travel down to the spot where Elladan’s hand held hers tighly. She saw a proud smile appear on his lips, so faintly that she thought she had imagined it. However, he did not say a word as he turned and walked away, leaving the four elves to continue their way outside the house. 

Outside the sun was already high in the sky, tracing dashes of gold on the soft grass, sparkling on the few yellow leaves of early autumn. They crossed many gardens, the fresh air feeling like a calming touch onside of her. It did not take them long before they reached a beautiful place down the heavy rocks leading to the river, where the water had calmed into a large crystal blue pool. A strong waterfall fed the natural pool, the sweet lullaby of the running water filling her ears as her nose delighted in the smell of damp rocks and grass. 

Somewhere along the way, the twins had started an argument that seemed to have no end. At the beginning she had tried to understand what they were arguing about but had given up, finally understanding that they were not going to explain. 

“I say we do it at dinner time, it is our best option” Elrohir pointed out firmly. Legolas and Elerrina were left staring in confusion, not able to participate in the conversation. The Prince had tried a couple of times to change the direction of their argument but every time it ended coming up again. 

“And I say that is the worst idea you have ever had. I should add that you have had many bad ideas before.” 

“And I remind you that this one was my idea.” 

“I want to hear you say that in front of Adar, once we get caught, a thing that will not happen if we do it early afternoon.”

“Early afternoon will not work, Dan. It has to be dinner time.” 

Elerrina turned to look at Legolas, searching to find out if he was as lost in the conversation as she was. They had sat themselves at the edge of the water, and she was now tempted to jump into the clear pool, it looked too inviting. 

“Do you know wha…” She asked in a low voice, but the elven prince answered before she could finish her question. 

“I have no idea” he said as he shook his head, an amused smile on his lips as his deep blue eyes darted form one twin to the other. 

“I am not even sure which one is which at this moment” he added, his eyes met hers and the image of the little elfling squealing in joy in the golden-haired lady’s arms dashed through her mind. She did not blame him, in fact, she herself was starting to doubt if she could tell them apart at that moment. Elladan’s gaze, which travelled to her every two minutes, was her only way knowing which twin was which. 

“Are the patrols supposed to return this afternoon?” Legolas tried again and, for a minute, it seemed to work for both of the twins turned their silver eyes to meet his. Once again she felt the image of the elfling come back to her head at the sight of his eyes. Everything was so blurry and yet so clear, as if the answer to all of her questions was right there in front of her and all she had to do was remember. The water flowing in the deep pool made his eyes seem even more familiar, and yet she could not grasp any memory. 

“Yes, we are expecting them this afternoon. Although it exists a great possibility that their arrival be delayed.” Elrohir was the one to answer, momentarily forgetting about his argument. 

“Most of the times they arrive sharp in time, though.” Added Elladan. 

“Which is exactly my point, Elladan. That is exactly why dinner time will be best.” Legolas rolled his eyes in exasperation and she could not help but laugh loudly as his attempt failed once more. Meanwhile the twins remained one again lost in their cyclic argument. 

“No, Elrohir. That is exactly why dinner time will be the worst time.” 

“You have no ide…”

“Would you two stop it?” she finally said looking from one twin to the other. Next to her Legolas was trying hard to suppress his laughter as both mirror images turned to look at her, eyebrows raised in a questioning look. Elrohir turned to look at his brother, a mischievous grin wide on his lips. 

“Elladan, I believe your lady wants your attention back.” Legolas burst into laughter, the sound floating in the air like wind chimes, and Elladan threw a deadly glare at his twin brother. 

“She has my complete attention at every hour” She felt his eyes stare deeply into hers, looking at her lovingly while the softest of smiles emerged on his lips. Elrohir’s teaseful grin transformed into one of pure happiness as he looked at his brother, his kind grey eyes glowing with joy. 

At that moment she saw Legolas move closer to the water, his hand reaching to touch the mirror of the surface and she looked at him closely, following him to the edge of the rock, her brain burning with the image from her dream. Slowly, and casually he reached down, his hand meeting the water barely, a smile on his lips as he watched the undulations his touch produced on the water. 

He did it once and then as soon as the small waves had died out he reached down again a produced a whole new set of undulations. She could see the image of her dream play endlessly inside her mind, a little blond elfling playing softly with t he water of the clear stream. 

Without knowing what she was doing, or why she did she reached her hand down to the water, next to him. She waited until the outer wave produced by his hand reached the spot where she waited and then, she extended one of her fingers and touched the tiny wave ever so lightly, lifting it up quickly and doing the same as the next wave came. Her finger lowering softly to the water to touch the wave and then lifting quickly before touching the next one, until all of the waves had died out. 

When she looked up she found his eyes staring into hers, deep infinite eyes of a light blue studying her, fixed in place. His expression was completely blank, perplexed as he looked at her in silence, then ever so slowly he reached down again and pressed his palm over the clear surface. Another wave of tiny ripples erupted from his touch, and, without knowing the reason, she repeated her task of lightly touching each of them with a finger. It simply felt natural to her. 

 

After she was done, she looked back up to meet his eyes. Blue orbs gazing deeply into hers, confused, bewildered, then confused again. But the gaze was not the same gaze that had met her eyes in the morning. It was the gaze of the elfling, a sweet glint of recognition sparkling in his eyes as he stared at her this time.


	20. Sunshine Turns To Rain

Her voice had completely abandoned her. His light blue eyes kept staring into her green ones. He knew her; she could see it clearly in his eyes of infinite blue. The twins had reassumed their previous argument, but she could feel Elladan’s silver eyes fixed on her, attentive. 

“Who taught you that?” The prince’s voice was casual, his head tilting slightly to the side. Elerrina shook her head, puzzled. 

“No one.” She said finally, her mind searching for an answer that would not come. “I do not know.” She did not know what she was supposed to answer, she did not know if someone had indeed taught her that and she simply could not remember. Then another question popped into her mind. 

“Taught me what?” He looked at her smiling. 

“What you just did. The little game with the water” 

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again when no words came. He kept looking at her, smiling faintly as his eyes stared at her lost in thought. 

“I had not seen anyone do that in years” he said shaking head, chuckling softly. 

Elerrina opened her mouth again, but her words were silenced by a loud splash. She shrieked in surprise as drops of water suddenly splashed on her and used her hands in a failed attempt to shield herself. Legolas too held up his hands over his head but also to no avail. 

She looked up to find Elrohir on the ground laughing hysterically. Legolas was also laughing loudly now, his eyes focused on the clear pool. Following his gaze, her eyes fell on the soaked image of Elladan emerging form the middle of the pool, the crystal blue water reaching to up to his shoulders. His silver eyes were opened wide, completely surprised as he moved his now wet dark hair from his face. 

“You pushed me!” He yelled at his twin, his eyes still surprised and his mouth hanging open. Elrohir only grinned back at him. 

“Me? I am innocent” he used his finger to point at himself, yet his eyes and wicked grin told exactly the opposite from his words. She could not help but laugh at the shocked expression still present in Elladan’s handsome face. 

Legolas looked at Elrohir, his eyes narrowing in concentration before they widened as his eyebrows shot up, a grin appearing also on his face. 

“That is Elladan!” he said pointing at the soaked elf inside de pool, suddenly realizing which twin had been the victim. She did not know what was so surprising about his realization.   
“I thought I would never see him fall in the pool first” the blond elf continued between chuckles.

“Neither did I” mentioned Elladan in a not so happy tone. Legolas ignored his comment as he continued to speak to the twin left standing. 

“Congratulations, Elrohir” The dark haired elf made a mocked low reverence, to his audience, which only consisted on Legolas and Elerrina before lifting his head back up. 

“Thank you” he said, his wicked grin still present on his face. Elladan splashed him then, and Elrohir took a quick couple of steps back in an attempt to escape the wave of water going in his direction. She laughed again as the younger twin was drenched in water. 

“I was surprised that none of them had fallen into the pool by now” Legolas told her, his eyes looking at her a he spoke. HE looked at her differently, suddenly more interested in her than ever before.

“Do they throw each other every time?” She asked, her eyes travelling back to Elladan who was now slowly walking back to the edge of the pool, headed to her direction. He looked extremely handsome, even with his hair splattered to his head, dripping into his already soaked dark green tunic. 

“Yes” answered Legolas and she turned to look back at him. “ Elrohir is the one to fall in first ever single time. This is indeed the first time he succeeds in throwing Elladan first. I must admit that when I heard the splash, I thought it was Elrohir who had fallen.” 

“You doubted my abilities?” asked Elrohir with an expression of faked hurt. 

“Time had proven that you were not very likely to succeed” Added his twin, splashing yet another wave of water to his mirror image. 

Elladan partially walked, partially swan until he reached the rock upon which Elerrina and Legolas were sitting. She looked down at him, her eyes meeting his liquid silver ones, grinning at the sight of the soaked elf. He grinned back at her, narrowing his eyes as she silently mocked him. Then he extended a hand for her to take and help him out of the water. 

“I am not taking your hand! You will pull me in! I know that trick!” She said as she leaned a little farther from him. Laughing he then used his arms to push himself up from the water and sat on the large rock, next to her, his soaked tunic already dripping over her dry dress. She squealed as she quickly moved farther form him. 

“You stay away from me until you are dry!” she yelled, fully grinning. However, he was faster than her and in a quick movement he had gathered her in his arms, pressing her against his soaked body, her preciously dry dress getting wet. 

“No!” She shrieked as she laughed, twirling in his arms, trying desperately to get free, but was failing miserably. She could hear Legolas laughing at her hysterically, and then suddenly heard him give a surprised cry as Elrohir pushed in the crystalline water. 

The distraction created as the blonde elven prince hit the water below was enough for Elerrina to finally break free from Elladan’s grasp. She ran as fast as she could to a spot a little far from him, shaking her hands as she tried to somehow dry her now damp dress. 

Legolas was now standing in the pool, his face held the same shocked expression that Elladan’s had held moments ago. The elder twin laughed loudly at the sight of the now drenched blond elf. 

“That is what you get for laughing at me” he said as Elrohir joined in the laughter. 

She also laughed, but dared not go any closer, dreading to leave her spot located a safe distance away from the edge of the pool. She saw the twins exchange a look before both pairs of silver eyes turned to look at her, equal mischievous grins on their faces. 

“No!” she said in what she tried to be a stern tone, holding up her index finger in warning. “Do not think about it! 

However, the twins had started to walk towards her, ignoring her completely. She took some steps back trying her best to glare at both mirror images.

“Throw her in!” yelled Legolas from the pool and Elerrina threw him her most deadly glare. 

“No!” She kept trying, although she knew her words would be ignored. “Elladan, I am being serious!” 

“So am I” he said grinning as they moved closer to her. She tried for a run but did not manage to get too far before she felt his arms wrap tightly around her, holding her arms steady. She tried to break free again, shrieking between laughs. 

Without a warning, Elrohir grabbed her by the ankles and she shut her eyes expecting to hit the floor, but Elladan held her by the arms, hanging like a defenseless prisoner. 

“No! No!” She repeated, kicking her legs and batting her arms, but nothing seemed to lessen the twins’ grips on her. They where now at the edge of the pool and she could see the crystal blue water bellow her, waiting to embrace her. 

She shrieked as she closed her eyes tightly, the twins swinging her from side to side, over the water then safely over the grass, then over the water again. The next moment she felt the strong grips on her arms and ankles suddenly release her, and she floated from a split of second before her body fell deep into the cold water. 

Her head broke through the surface as she pushed some wet golden locks form her eyes and face. Elerrina was now completely soaked, her dress clinging to her at the arms and swirling around in the water at her feet. She was shorter than the other three elves, and thus, her feet did not reach the bottom of the pool. 

Elerrina looked up just in time to see Legolas pulling the only elf remaining dry down into the water. Elrohir fell into the pool rather ungracefully, entirely caught by surprise. His twin jumped back into the pool, eager to join the other three, and she swam directly to him. 

He smiled at her widely, his eyes staring lovingly into hers and she knew she never wanted to look away. She grabbed him by the arm and then by the shoulders, pressing herself on his back as she let her body float, clinging to him for support. That way she did not have to swim to stay afloat. He had no trouble in reaching the sandy bottom of the natural pool, and therefore he remained standing steady, the water reaching up to his shoulders. 

“Now you want to be close to me” He said chuckling as he turned his face to his back meeting her eyes through the corner of his. At that moment, Elrohir was getting his revenge on Legolas by pushing him under water, both of them too engulfed in their game to pay any attention to Elladan or her. 

“I cannot possibly get any more wet” She answered grinning at him, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek in a quick kiss. 

“What happened there between you and Legolas?” he asked softly while he turned around to face her. Her arms were still around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist as he touched his forehead to hers. 

“I am not sure” his deep gray eyes were looking directly into hers, so close, so warm and welcoming, pulling her in until she felt lost, dazed in a heaven of silver. He seemed to accept her answer for he did not press her with other questions. 

“He has seen you before” He whispered “I saw it on his face. It cost me a trip into the water” 

She chuckled lightly at his last phrase while the rest of his words danced wildly inside her mind. She had also seen the look on the elf prince’s face. He looked entirely too familiar… 

\---

The dark blue shade of late night covered the sky resembling an endless ocean. It was already after dinner and Elerrina currently sat in a comfortable seat near the fireplace of the large family room, pitifully loosing a chess match against Elladan. 

Their day out by the waterfall had been cut a little shorter than expected when it started to rain. It had not stopped yet, and she could hear the soothing song of the pouring water hitting the roof and the grass outside. 

Elrohir was next to her, carefully observing the long match and shaking his head with a smile every time Elerrina lost yet another of her pieces. Elladan was having no mercy on her. Legolas had retired early after dinner and Arwen was nowhere to be seen.

Lord Elrond sat in a large seat closest to the fire, a book held carefully in his hands. His gray eyes had not left the pages below, paying little to no attention at all to the other three elves, but merely enjoying the peace and company. He was still dressed in the light gray formal robes from that morning but he looked different now, calmed and absent, all signs of the mighty Elf-Lord gone as he spent the evening with his sons. As expected, the patrols had returned that afternoon, and, judging from the look of the Elf-Lord, they had not found anything to worry about for the moment. 

Elerrina moved her castle on her turn only to find it taken down by Elladan’s knight on his next move. She sighed loudly as Elrohir laughed lightly: She was loosing miserably. 

“Elerrina, move your queen three squares to the right” The calmed voice of the Elf-Lord echoed inside her mind, yet his gaze remained fixed on his book as he absently turned the page. 

She looked down at the board, a wide smile suddenly growing on her face as she looked at Elladan in the eyes. He looked somewhat confused at her sudden change in mood but remained silent waiting for her move. Without thinking it twice, Elerrina grabbed the beautiful crystal piece and moved it as instructed. 

“What?” Elladan’s eyes nearly popped out at the unexpected twist in the game and she could not help but smile wider as his eyes darted quickly over the crystal board, trying to understand what had just happened. 

“I told you to watch out for that” said Elrohir with a sigh as he leaned back on his seat, not interested in the game any longer. “Now you lost” 

Elerrina raised her eyebrows at him, looking away from Elladan and the game. 

“You told him?” she asked looking from one twin to the other. 

“Elrohir has been helping him the whole match”

Lord Elrond’s voice made the twins turn around to look at him as if suddenly remembering he was also present in the room. Elladan smiled and shook his head, his gaze looking directly into his father’s gray eyes, so like his own. 

“You helped her” he said smiling as the Elf-Lord closed his book on his lap, nodding to his son. 

“Fair enough. Two against two” continued Elladan as he started to place all the small crystal pieces back on their places, accepting his fair defeat. She really doubted that calling it two against two was the right choice of words. For all she knew, she would be completely useless in playing as a team. She was sure Elrond could take down both the twins by himself. 

“I will go get us some tea” Elladan announced standing up after he had finished arranging the chess board. He leaned down and pressed his lips gently to her cheek before making his way out of the room, and she felt the gray eyes of the Elf-Lord following his movements, proudly smiling. 

“I will play with you this time” said Elrohir as took the seat where his twin had been sitting moments ago, across from Elerrina. 

She nodded her head and made the first move, already foreseeing how the game would end. She saw the Lord Elrond lean back on his seat resting his had back, his eyes closed. He looked tired, weary even, and she realized that he most likely had not had the tranquil day she and the twins had. 

Elrohir looked at his father before turning back to look at her, a soft smile present on his lips while he lifted a finger to them indicating her to be silent. She smiled back at him as they continued their game in silence, both of them fully aware that the Elf-Lord remained awake, but nonetheless wanting to give him some quiet time to rest. 

A knock on the large doors echoed through the family room, making both Elrohir and Elerrina divert their eyes from the game, Elrond fluttering his eyes open as he sat up straight on the chair. 

“Enter” he announced but the door was being pushed open before he had finished speaking.

A blond elf Elerrina had not seen before came rushing into the room, breathing heavily, as if he had run all the way to the room. He was dripping wet, making it clear that he came from the outside, where rain still continued to pour down heavily. Elrohir’s eyes looked alert, observing the appearance of the newcomer but the elf paid no attention to him as he walked straight towards the Lord of Imladris. 

“My Lord,” he said quickly, trying to catch his breath. Elrond was looking at him attentively, his brow furrowed in worry and he looked every inch the powerful Elf-Lord he was. The blond elf took another steadying breath before continuing. 

“Orcs have crossed the Bruinen. Our guards at the borders cannot stop them. They are breaking into the valley”


	21. At The Mercy Of Darkness

The words floated sourly in the air, which seemed to turn cold despite the fire still burning in the fireplace. Time seemed to freeze and she felt as if air had been cut out of her lungs. Her arms and legs had turned into stone, her body feeling like a statue, disconnected from her mind. 

Lord Elrond was the one to react first; only a fragment of a second after the words had reached his ears. His voice carried no doubt or hesitation as he rose from his seat, taller than the messenger elf. 

“How far into the valley are they by now?” The Elf-Lord’s eyes burned into the blond elf she did not know, demanding an answer and demanding it fast. The elf took a breath before answering, he looked agitated and fear glowed in his honey colored eyes. He was unable to keep his voice as steady as his Lord’s. 

“Not far but they move incredibly fast, my Lord. Our attempts to slow them at the borders fail greatly because of their number. I would estimate ten minutes at most before they reach us here. Should I inform Lord Glorfindel to send the troops out to fight them?” 

“Not enough time. Alert everyone. They will reach us before we reach them. Take me to Lord Glorfindel.” Elrond answered quickly. She had seen the orcs with her own eyes, she had shared in his vision and for a moment she knew that the blond elf in front of them could not even imagine what was really coming for them. There was no time for strategies, no time to plan a defense. 

The elf nodded quickly and turned around in a rush to leave the room, The Lord of the valley at his heels. The dark haired Elf-Lord turned his head quickly before exiting the room, his eyes piercing into his son’s. 

“Stay here. Be ready” His tone left no space for arguments, and his eyes burned with the power of his command. Elrohir nodded quickly, not an inch of doubt filled his kind gray eyes, which were now wide alert, his senses sharp. Elrond threw a quick glance at her, before looking back to his son, opening his mouth once more to say something but Elrohir spoke first. 

“I will stay with her” he said quickly, rushing the words as if he felt that speaking would only waste the precious time they no longer possessed. The Elf-Lord nodded and rushed out of the room, blindly trusting his son’s abilities as a warrior. 

She felt her body remain frozen as the door sealed shut behind the Lord of Imladris. The sound echoing brutally in the cold silence, and her heart raced with fear inside her chest, the drumming so loud she could almost hear it ringing in her ears. She trusted Elrohir blindly, and she felt safe in the presence of the younger twin, but that did nothing to ease her anxiousness and terror. Her thoughts travelled to Elladan. She wanted him there; she wanted his comforting presence, his liquid silver eyes piercing into her, making everything else feel distant and unreal. But most of all she wanted him safe. 

Elrohir sprang quickly into action, making his way to the fireplace, which only minutes ago had seemed so warm and welcoming. It now seemed empty, the red flames sparkling without producing any heat, any comfort. She saw him kneel on the floor and start moving the wood around using a long black iron stick fabricated for that same purpose. She watched him silently, her eyes glued to his body as he rolled the wood over and over pressing it against the gray ashes at the bottom. 

Slowly the fire died, the last weak flames extinguishing in the cold, unfriendly air of the night. She saw the dark haired elf stand up and walk towards the other candles lighting the room, blowing out each one of them, but her eyes remained locked on the dead fire. A faint thread of smoke still danced swiftly over the wood, a mere ghost lurking in the darkness as the only memory of the red, dancing flames. 

Elrohir blew out the last candle and complete darkness swallowed the silent room. The rain still poured heavily outside, it sounded loud, drumming on the roofs and grass like a warning sign. She found it hard to breathe as the most powerful fear she ad ever felt took hold of her. And yet she remained still, silent, frozen to her seat and allowed the darkness to embrace her, to somehow shield her. She knew that, to a newcomer, the room would appear empty now. The longer it took them to be found, the safer they were. 

The creaking sound of a wooden drawer being pulled open made her turn her head. She saw Elrohir pulling out a small silver dagger, its sharp edges catching the pale light of the moonless night as he grabbed it firmly before closing the drawer. He then walked back to where she was, stopping to stand right next to her seat, to her left. He reached his right hand to rest lightly on her shoulder and she immediately turned her face to look up at him, her eyes meeting his kind silver gaze as he offered her the faintest of smiles. His eyes were calmed, serene, comforting her without the need of words, silently telling her that he would protect her, that she was safe. And she wanted to believe it. 

He lowered himself to the floor, sitting by her feet, as if he felt that the chair next to her was too far to provide any comfort with his presence, and she mentally thanked him. No words were exchanged; there was no need for them as she silently felt some calm swirl through her, emanating from the comforting form of the younger twin. He would not leave her side unless it became absolutely necessary. 

Long seconds stretched into hours in the dead silence and, through the window, behind the heavy curtain of rain, Elerrina saw other distant lights fade into complete darkness. Other elves in the valley were doing the same as Elrohir. 

A high-pitched cry echoed through the air, muffled by the sound of the rain, distant and yet so close. Cold shivers ran down her body, as her blood seemed to turn into ice inside her veins. More cries followed the first one accompanied by the vague metallic sound of swords hitting against swords. They were here. 

Part of her wished to know what was happening on the outside, and part of her preferred not to know. The sounds were coming closer and closer, the battle was moving fast, the orc probably filtering easily through the barrier of fighting elves. The orc’s blood curling cries could be heard every so often, indicating when one of them had been caught by surprise by an elf. She wanted to press her hands to her ears and close her eyes, but her body ignored her. Instead she lowered herself to the ground, sitting next to Elrohir on the cold floor. The dark haired elf turn to look at her, his eyes deeply worried but not nearly half as disturbed by the sounds of the starting battle as she was. He rubbed her arm comfortingly before gently squeezing it, his eyes staring into hers, concerned, pained, as if he knew that it was not his comfort the one she do desperately needed. 

“You will be fine” He whispered in a barely audible voice, and she believed him. “They will find us here. You will do as I say, when I say it, not a minute before, not a minute after. ” 

He whispered softly, his eyes fixed on hers to make sure she understood clearly each and every one of his words and she nodded her head slowly. She would blindly follow every single instruction he gave her, no matter how bizarre it could be. The burning look in his eyes softened once he understood she would follow his orders and he offered her a half- hearted smile.

“Elladan will have my head if you get so much as a scratch” He looked at her with his kind, honest silver eyes and she was deeply grateful at his attempt in lightening the mood. 

“Where is he?” She said, finally able to find her voice, which now sounded shaky, barely audible even to elven ears. 

“He is fine” He said reassuringly “He is safe”

Whether he was telling her truth or simply saying it for her sake she did not know, but accepted his words as the information she chose to believe. The loud noises of the battle had finally reached them, sounding all around them, so clear, so disturbing and terrifying. She heard doors being thrown open, metal boots hitting heavily on the floor, screams, cries, swords clashing, arrows flying through the air. 

Elrorhir stood up, reaching a finger to his lips to indicate her to be silent and motioned for her to follow him. He rushed to the wall that held the door and pressed his back to it, Elerrina close to his side. They were next to the door, close enough so that if someone opened it they would not be obviously visible, but far enough to not get hit by the opening door. 

She heard heavy steps running just outside the door, coming to it, they seemed so clear and loud even among the deafening sounds of the fight in the hall outside. They would be found sooner than expected. Suddenly the door was brutally thrown open, the light form the hall filling quickly the room, but they were left in the darkness. She held her breath and remained frozen, her back pressed tightly against the wall next to Elrohir. They had not been seen yet; the door was shielding them from view. 

The orcs had not come inside the room yet, their eyes scanning it, trying to decide whether it was empty or not. She could smell their filthy ashen skin, hear their loud breaths, hungry for blood, and she dared not even blink. Slowly they penetrated into the quiet family room, their backs to them. They were only two. 

“S’empty” said one of the two, the rough voice making her skin crawl. For a moment she felt a wave of hope run through her as she silently begged for them to leave.

“S’not bloody empty! Search! ‘e has to be somewhere” roared the other voice and she knew that was it: they would be found. 

The nasty creatures started walking towards the seats where moments ago she and Elrohir had been sitting playing chess. Their heads moved from left to right, inspecting the room. Unexpectedly, one of the orcs turned around, and she felt her heart stopped as his yellow eyes found them. 

Then everything happened so fast she did not even know what was happening. Elrohir jumped at the orc, nearly surprising the creature that let out a nasty cry as the dagger was stabbed on its shoulder. The other suddenly turned around, noticing the surprise attack and swung his black sword at the dark haired elf, but Elrohir was faster, dodging their attacks quickly, easily handling the two. 

“Run!” He yelled at her, and suddenly she remembered that she was still frozen in her place. More orcs had heard the commotion and were now coming towards the room. “Run! Find a place to hide!” 

She did not it to be told twice and her body seemed to finally react, the fear and adrenaline making her quick as she ran to the open door. She threw one last glance at the younger twin, who had taken hold of one of the orcs’ swords, before she left the safety of the dark room.

The house was complete chaos. Elves battled orcs at every side she looked, swords moving fast, elves were quicker than the brute creatures, but they were more in number. Maidens ran wherever they could, screaming, looking for a place to hide. Her legs kept running, faster than she had ever ran before, down through hallways, rounding corners: she did not know where she was going, she just kept running. 

Orcs seemed to appear out of every corner, running around in groups and throwing themselves at the fighting elves. A black arrow flew past her and she screamed as she felt the rushing air by her ear but her legs did not stop. A blond elf carrying a shiny sword rounded the corner, almost running into her, pushing her to the side as he ran to meet the orcs that were quickly making it up the large staircase. However, the orcs did not pay him attention, one pushed him out of the way as they continued their march, not interested in the blond elf. She looked around as she ran, desperate to find a familiar face, but all she saw was chaos. 

Something bumped into her and she was thrown to the floor, caught by surprise. She hit the floor with another body on top of her, hair falling into her face and she struggled, pushing the person away from her until she felt a pair of hands grab her by the arms. She pushed her hair aside and concentrated on the other body, a fair elven maiden with long platinum hair. 

“Faelilla!” She breathed not knowing if more out of surprise or relief. The blond elf pushed her to the side of a large bookshelf, crouching in an attempt to partially hide out of the way of the fight. 

“My Lady!” She whispered looking at Elerrina, her big morning blue eyes wide with fear. She was shaking, and Elerrina felt that she was probably even more scared than she was. 

“What do we do? Where do we go?” The words were coming out of Faelilla’s mouth in a rush, she seemed to be in panic, and that was not helping Elerrina’s own growing fear. 

“Do you see what is happening, my Lady? It is a selective attack!” The last words brought Elerrina out of her shocked state like a cold bucket of water. 

“What? What do you mean?” She asked rushed, looking deeply into the large scared blue eyes and she suddenly felt that her own eyes must have looked the same way. She did not know what to do, where to go, what to think. She had never fought before, or been in a fight she could remember. 

“They choose who to go after, my Lady” Elerrina stuck her head slightly out of their way too unsafe hiding spot to look at the fight outside. Orcs jumped against elves, pushing them, fighting them, throwing them around the house and the elves fought back, sticking their swords through the foul creatures. Then she saw what Faelilla had told her, the orcs did not throw themselves to every elf. Some were being completely ignored, simply pushed out of the way, while others were met by three or four of the creatures, attacked by more than they could handle. 

Fear was taking hold of her, but the adrenaline made her think fast. They needed to get out of where they were. They were right in the way of the battle. 

“Faelilla, run.” She said, giving the platinum haired elf the same instructions that had been given to her. She wished to be back in the dark family room, she wished to feel safe in the presence of the younger twin again. “Run and hide. Anywhere you can. I do not know what else to do” 

The fair elf maiden nodded her head quickly in understanding. They could not run together, their chances of successfully hiding were larger if they ran separately. 

“Be safe, my Lady” She whispered before sprinting out into a run, going the way she had come before running into Elerrina. Not thinking it twice she also ran, going all the way down the hallway screaming and ducking as stuff was thrown at her. 

She turned a corner and ran up a large staircase. She had reached a part of the house in which the fight was not yet as strong as where she was minutes ago. She ran through a large hallway stopping as she noticed a pair of large wooden doors. She reached both of her shaking hands to the copper handle, trying desperately to open it. Locked. 

She heard the orcs’s cries from behind her and the heavy metal boots hitting the floor. A group of elves ran past her but she did not turn around to look at the fight behind her as she heard the clashing sound of metal hitting metal. 

She was about to round the next corner to the left when a strong hand took hold of her right arm, pulling her sharply into another hallway. She shut her eyes and screamed out of surprise only to find a hand pressed to her mouth. She opened her eyes to find the figure in front of her turn around quickly, dragging her by the arm to follow and she did. A wave of relief washed over her at the sight of the tall, dark haired figure running in front of her, the pale gray robe swirling gracefully behind his rushed steps. It was Lord Elrond. 

He ran fast, moving with inexplicable ease through the corridors, taking ways she had never taken before. She had to do a great effort to keep up, but luckily for her, his left hand still held a firm grip on her arm, making sure she remained close behind. He carried a long silver sword on his right hand, and the sight of its sharp edges made her feel secure somehow. He did not turn to face her once, did not say a single word as he pulled her in a fast run through the house. 

Three orcs jumped at him out of nowhere, but he was faster than them and sliced two with his sword in a movement so quick she was not even sure she had seen it. She saw the third attempt to surprise him from the back, but the Elf-Lord turned quickly, stabbing the sword through the creature’s middle before kicking the carcass out of the way. Without giving her time to blink he was once again dragging her behind him. More orcs were coming in the distance, running straight to them, suddenly seeming to forget about the elf they had currently been fighting. She was only glad they had a lot of room of advantage. 

The Elf-Lord rounded another corner and the orcs that followed were left out of their view. They ran along a barely lit hallway she could not recognize but appeared to be empty. He suddenly stopped and she nearly collapsed into him as he pushed open a door to their left, which she had not noticed. He pushed her in quickly and followed right after her, closing the door behind him. 

The room was pitch dark, and her eyes had a hard time in adjusting to it. She could still feel the strong hold of the Elf-Lord on her right arm, guiding her somewhere through the room, and she bumped into pieces of furniture a couple of times. They had reached a corner of the room, and shapes started to appear before her eyes, finally adjusting to the dark surroundings. 

They were just in front of a large cabinet placed against one wall. A large window faced the north wall of the room, right next to the cabinet, and she could see the rain pouring heavily on the outside. Elrond opened one of the cabinet’s wooden doors in a fast movement and guided her inside it’s dark interiors. 

“Get in” he whispered. His voice was hurried as he turned around to look at the door, half expecting to see it thrown open suddenly.

She obeyed quickly and climbed inside the wooden furniture. She had to crouch to fit, but it was large enough to hide her. There were other things inside the cabinet, blankets from the soft feel of it, but lucky for her they were all piled on one side of it, leaving half o the space empty for her to fit tightly, her knees pressed to her chest. 

The Elf-Lord lowered himself to her eye level and she felt his deep silver eyes pierce into hers intently. He looked at her deeply, eyes pleading, commanding her to look directly to him, sparkling with a mixture of emotions: pain, worry, fear. 

“Listen to me. You must stay here” he breathed, his gaze not breaking hers and she waited, unmoving, listening with every inch of her body. His eyes looked stern, and yet they were not ordering her around, but pleading. Silently pleading for her to do whatever he would command. She took an unsteady breath and nodded her head quickly. 

“Do not go out, no matter what you hear. You cannot be found, Elerrina.” She did not know what he was talking about but she kept nodding, her fear becoming too much for her to handle and she could already feel a knot forming in her throat. She wanted it all over, the fight, the running, the hiding. 

The sounds outside were getting closer; the orcs had been following them. She only hoped they had been fast enough for the creatures to not see the room into which they had disappeared. The Elf-Lord threw a quick glance at the door before turning his silver eyes back to her. 

“Give me that” he said quickly, pointing to the thing silver chain upon which hung a tiny pearl around her neck. She moved her shaking hands as fast as she could and untied the necklace, handing it to the dark haired elf before her. Her whole body was shaking and she found it hard to breathe, and yet, she fought to keep her composure. 

Elrond grabbed the necklace without the slightest hesitation and looked at her for a second. His next move would remain forever engraved on her mind, making her heart stop, and air to be finally cut out of her lungs entirely. 

With his left hand, he reached to his right hand’s third finger and pulled the blue-stoned ring from it in a strong, sure, move. Vilya glowed brightly in a blinding dash of sapphire blue light when it was separated from its master’s hand. She heard its loud cry ringing in her ears for a split second before the stone turned dark again. A dead blue stone without the littlest hint of the dim glow that danced inside it seconds ago. 

She lifted her eyes from the ring to meet Elf-Lord’s as he slipped the ring in her thing silver chain. His silver eyes looked undisturbed, a perfect mask that would have fooled anyone, except for the faint gleam of pain that shone deep in them. He handed the chain back to her, the beautiful ring hanging lifelessly from it, next to the tiny pearl. She shook her head. She did not want to take it. 

“Take it” He insisted, his eyes commanding her with incredible power, and she finally obeyed, her hand shaking uncontrollably as she painfully accepted the ring and chain. She kept staring at him, her eyes wide, and his eyes looked deeply pained now, as if separating from the ring was not an easy thing to do. 

“Keep it safe. Keep it hidden.” He whispered as he let go of the chain, which fell into her waiting hands. She looked at it as it touched her palm; the blue stone glowed again, dimly, dancing softly as it had before. Alive again. Elrond was also looking at her palm, just in the spot where the ring was, his eyes betraying his pain. 

“Just as I thought. It works. I can no longer see it while you have it.” She looked again at the ring only to make sure that it was still visible to her, glowing dully on her palm. 

“Keep it with you. Keep it safe for me. Do not wear it. Do not wield it and do not call on it. Only guard if safe. It must not be found, Elerrina. That is why it is crucial for you to stay her, hidden.” He turned to look again at the door before continuing. The sounds were nearly too close now, it would not be long. “I cannot hide for much longer, nor will I do it. Vilya is something that cannot fall into their hands.”

She could no longer take it. Part of her already knew what was about to happen, the reason why he was giving Vilya to her to hide for him. 

“Why not give it to somebody else, My Lord?” she asked, her voice betraying all of her fears “I cannot fight. I do not know what to do. I..” she did not know what else to say.   
“Who else?” He asked sharply, his eyes telling to think reasonably, it was not the moment to panic or doubt. “If they believe I have the ring they will search anyone who is close to me. You, they do not know. They do not know you exist. They believe you dead. You do not know what you can do. If they get a hold of you it will be far worse than they getting hold of me or anyone else. Now, can you stay here and not be found? No matter what happens or what you hear? Can you keep it safe with you?” 

She felt his gray eyes burn into hers, carrying the urgency of his words. She looked at him for a moment, her body frozen. She did not know what he was talking about. She did not understand half of what he had said.

“Can you or can you not?” he asked again, this time with more urgency, and she nodded her head. 

“Yes. I will do it” She answered in a barely audible whisper. He nodded his head as his eyes softened. When he spoke again his voice was sounded sad, troubled. 

“After all is over, find Glorfindel and my sons. Speak to no one but them about the ring.” She nodded again knowing that her voice had completely abandoned her only to be replaced by tightening knot on her throat. He smiled at her, a sad smile that never reached his eyes. The Elf-Lord started to stand back up, but stopped halfway through it and returned to look at her, saying one last thing. 

“My desk. Second drawer to the left. Look there.” 

The noise was right outside the door now, the heavy boots echoing dangerously around the dark room. His face snapped quickly to the door and without another word he closed the cabinet’s wooden door, leaving her in the complete darkness of its interior. 

She heard his light footsteps rush away from her, heading to the door, probably to leave the room to ensure she would not be found but only made it halfway before she heard the door being swung open. She concentrated on breathing steady, quiet breaths, not even moving to blink. 

“In ‘ere!” she heard one of the creatures yell, followed by the sound of heavy steps running into the room. There had to be too many of them. She knew the Elf-Lord could not fight them all this time. It all became so clear to her know: A selective attack. They had been looking for someone, and now they had found their target. 

She closed her eyes shut, not wanting to know what would come. Inside her eyelids, she could see the image of the tired Elf-Lord resting on his comfortable chair by the fire a couple of hours ago. He had looked so worn out, so weary. She knew he could not fight them now, they were too many, and he was not in his best condition. 

“You can’t ‘ide any longer” said another orc, but she did not hear the Elrond reply. 

Then she heard the sharp sound of swords meeting, followed by an orc’s high-pitched cry. After that came more metallic sounds and a second high-pitched cry, and then a loud noise of a hard object hiding something hard and a body hit the floor, the sound of robes swirling around. Then silence. 

She heard the Elf-Lord groan and had to use all her will power not to utter a sound. She felt her cheeks wet with tears she did not know she had been crying until now. The sound of a heavy metal boot hitting flesh made her wince, but she remained quiet. She could see nothing but darkness, and for a second she was grateful that she at least did not have to see the image of the Lord of Imladris lying on the cold floor at the mercy of the nasty creatures. 

“Don’t kill ‘im!” cried an orc. “’E has it! We need ‘im alive!” She heard them move around, closing around something, and she guessed that it was most likely around the fallen elf. 

“I don’ see anything! There’s nothing on ‘is hand!” She held the ring stronger inside her palm. Elrond had been right. He had known what the orcs were looking for and had fooled them. 

“Idiot!” cried an orc she had heard speak before “Ring’s invisible! Take ‘im! And let’s get outa ‘ere!” 

Elerrina heard them spring into action, and in matter of seconds they had left the room. The silence felt louder than any noise she had heard before in her life. The nasty, cruel voices still echoed inside her head, and the ring was still held tightly inside her palm, nearly cutting into her skin. The noises outside slowly died. The orcs were retiring. Their mission had been accomplished. Or at least that was what they thought. And she was the only elf in the valley that knew. 

She remained there, in the safety of the dark cabinet, next to the pile of blankets, afraid to move, afraid to breathe. All she wanted was to wake up from the nightmare in which she was. The pained, silver eyes of the Elf-Lord still fresh inside her


	22. Picking Up The Pieces

Silence lingered in the air like a cold ghost and, for a moment, all that reached her ears was the loud thumping of her heart. Even the constant rain pouring heavily outside had lost its sound to her, becoming only an empty echo in the background. She did not know how long she had remained waiting in her hiding spot inside the cabinet, it felt like hours but she knew it must have been only minutes. The cold grip of darkness had become welcoming to her, somehow feeling more soothing than the well-lit house outside. 

Taking a deep breath, Elerrina slowly stepped out of the wooden cabinet, the ring in the thin chain gripped tightly inside her palm. The room outside was dark, same as when they had come rushing, except that now it was only she. There were no orcs. No Elf-Lord. She looked around the room for the first time as she slowly placed one foot in front of the other towards the large door. Dark shadows traced the shapes of furniture around the room, its colors reduced to darks shades of blues in the lack of light. There was a bed, not a large one, and a couple of chairs. There were more cabinets like the one in which she had hidden, and a small bedside table upon which rested some cups and funny instruments. It looked like a room in a Healing Wing. 

Two shapes lay sprawled dead on the floor, the sickly grayish color of the skin making shivers run down her spine. Two orcs. So Lord Elrond had managed to take down two of them. A glint of silver caught her eye, and she noticed the shiny shape of a long, sharp sword, dropped carelessly on the ground, a beautiful silver circlet not far from it. Quickly she turned her gaze away from them, concentrating on the door. She could not look at those objects. 

Outside the house felt empty, lifeless, despite the warm fires lighting the many hallways. It did not take her long to reach the massive staircase that led to the main hall. Elves rushed all around the house, gathering the nasty bodies of the dead orcs and caring for the injured. Her eyes darted about the hall, not really paying close attention to any of them, and they seemed not to have noticed her. There was no sight of the twins or Glorfindel. Not even Legolas. 

Three elves rushed through her right, gently carrying a limp body. Dark hair fell from the unconscious elf’s head, which hung lifelessly as he was carried away, his eyes closed in mortal sleep and she could see his gentle features glowing at the candlelight. She did not know the elf, but could not help her eyes from staring, shaken. Silently she hoped he still lived. She wished she could feel pain, sadness, grief, despair, anything. But she felt nothing, only cold emptiness. 

Elerrina crossed the hall in long steps, looking to her sides searching for a familiar face. She walked down the steps that descended into the main courtyard, the rain pouring down on her, sticking her golden hair to her face and brushing away the trails of dry tears on her cheeks. 

More dead orcs lay on the muddy grass, and elves also moved around the courtyard, taking their injured back into the house, away from the cold and wet. It seemed the battle had been greater outside the house than inside. The elves had tried to prevent the nasty creatures from entering. 

Her eyes searched around, blinking through the rain that cascaded down her lashes, until they fell on a dark figure sitting on the wet ground, leaning against a tree trunk. Her heart raced in relief as she saw long strands of wet dark hair frame a very familiar, handsome face. It was one of the twins. 

Her feet raced towards the dark haired elf, the mud sticking to her long dress, but she did not care. She could see the efl’s face better as she drew closer, and a pair of liquid silver eyes shot up to meet her as his elven ears heard her approach. Her heart jumped inside her chest and she felt as if a great pressure had been liberated from her, letting her breath once more. It was Elladan. She felt a knot in her throat as tears of relief threaten to fall from her eyes. 

Elerrina rushed to his side and threw herself on the muddy grass, not caring about her dress anymore. Her eyes were glued to his silver ones, the center of her attention, as she saw him quickly inspect her from head to toe, his right hand reaching up to cradle her cheek. She pressed her own hand over his, welcoming the warm feeling of his skin touching hers. 

“Are you alright?” he breathed, his concerned eyes staring into her and she felt lost inside them. He was fine, and he was with her. 

She opened her mouth to answer, but struggled with words as a wave of all the suppressed emotions, the horrid images, the fear, the despair, and the relief, washed over her. She needed to tell him his father had been captured, perhaps they could reach the orcs before they were too far ahead, but her mouth did not respond to her. Breathing became hard as her body suddenly shook with sobs, her tears masked by the pouring rain. 

“Yes” she managed to choke out and he removed his hand from her cheek and used it to pull her closer to him, pressing her against his right shoulder. 

She buried her face in his dripping dark hair, just between his neck and collarbone, unable to control her hysteric sobs. Her hand gripped the neckline of his tunic as if her life depended on it while she longed for his closeness, for the comforting feeling of his warm skin, his sweet scent. She felt him press his lips to her temple, placing a kiss there and continuing all over her head, his right arm holding her tight against him. 

She let go of his tunic and moved her arms to place them around his neck, wanting to hold him even tighter. As soon as her right hand came in contact with his left shoulder he hissed sharply, wincing back from her touch. Startled she removed her hands quickly, leaning back to take a look at him, her heart nearly stopping. 

His eyes were shut in pain and his face turned away from her. A deep gash ran along his shoulder, but she could not see how far down his chest it went because of the darkness and rain. Dark blood covered the wound and part of his tunic. The thick liquid still flowed from the cut, mixing with the heavy raindrops and sticking to his hair. She looked at him with wide eyes, startled. 

The wound was hard to see in the darkness of the night, especially with the rain, but still she felt she should have noticed it. She suddenly realized that must have been the reason why he lay sitting against a tree, it seemed obvious now: he was injured. He opened his eyes again and turned his face to look at her once the pain had passed.

“You are bleeding” She realized that it was a stupid thing to say, but no other words came to her shocked mind. As if he did not know that already. 

“I am sorry” She apologized for causing him pain as she eyed the wound once again. “Why did you not say anything?” 

Elerrina knew they needed to stop the bleeding, but she could not take her hands to touch him again, she could not bear to cause him wince in pain once more. Steps rushed behind her, splashing fast on the muddy grass and she turned around to find the other twin running towards them. 

Elrohir looked entirely unharmed, lowering himself on the ground in front of his brother, not even looking at her as his silver eyes inspected the wound. He must have already known Elladan was hurt; he must have felt it through their bond. Acting fast, the younger twin stripped from his tunic and pressed piece of clothing against the wound, using both hands to hold it in place. 

Elladan tensed as he hissed louder this time, silver eyes shut tightly as his face contoured in pain, thrown back against the tree trunk. Her heart constricted inside her chest as she saw his hands dig into the grass, clenching into fists. 

“Sorry” said Elrohir flatly as he continued to press strongly against the bleeding wound. Elladan huffed as a response, not opening his eyes. 

“You could have been gentler” he muttered behind gritted teeth, breathing heavily as he struggled to fight the pain. She wanted to do something but felt completely useless. 

“Do you want to bleed out?” Asked the younger twin impatiently and she could see him lifting the cloth slightly to look at the wound again, his eyes concerned, concentrated on his task of stopping the thick liquid from flowing out the cut. 

“Do you want to trade places?” Snapped Elladan who finally managed to open his eyes with an effort. However, his words passed completely ignored by his mirror image, who did not even turn his head to look. 

She saw Elladan’s eyes staring at his brother, all the sudden anger that made him snap because of the agony now completely gone from his liquid silver orbs. 

“Thank you, Ro” he said softly, his eyes reflecting the honesty of his words and she felt he was thanking him for more than simply tending to his wound. Elrohir turned his head, his eyes finding a silver pair exactly like his own as they exchanged a look in silence. 

“Any time, Dan” The hard, focused look on the younger twin’s eyes had softened, once again replaced by his natural kind silver gaze. He sighed as he looked at the wound again only to find it still bleeding freely and shook his head while he muttered. “Caellor owes you his life”

“Elerrina?” Elrohir said suddenly, and she nearly jumped in surprise as her presence was once again remembered. 

“Yes?” she answered quickly, her voice coming out only as a whisper. 

“Can you hold this in place?” He asked motioning to the tunic in his hands. “You have to press it firmly to stop the blood flow” He instructed as she hurriedly walked around him and dropped to the ground on Elladan’s left side, her hands reaching to take over the tunic, now soaked with blood and rain. 

Once her hands were firmly pressed in place, he let go of the tunic and moved to the side. She watched him as he placed Elladan’s good arm around his own shoulders and slipped one arm firmly around his waist, ready to support him if he were to collapse. Elladan had remained silent and she saw in horror that his eyes were once again closed and his head rested back on the tree trunk. He was loosing strength fast.

“Can you walk?” she heard Elrohir ask him and the elder twin simply nodded his head in reply, not bothering to open his eyes. 

Elrohir rose himself from the ground, partially carrying Elladan into a standing position. Elerrina imitated him, careful to maintain the tunic pressed to the wound, offering the little help she could. Elladan swayed a bit on his feet but his twin tightened his hold on him, holding him steady until he managed to remain stable on his feet. 

Slowly they started they march back towards the house, Elladan keeping his beautiful silver eyes shut the whole time. She desperately wanted to caress his cheek, to softly stroke his hair, to do anything that would ease his pain even if only slightly but knew that the best way to help him was to focus on pressing the soaked piece of clothing to his shoulder. They needed to get Elladan back inside the house and to a healer; needed to find Glorfindel, wherever the golden haired elf might be; needed to go after Lord Elrond, or at least decide how to act about that.

“Elrohir” she said as the walked slowly. She needed to tell him about the Elf-Lord if they wanted to act fast. She did not know for how long could the elves inside the house not notice the absence of their Lord. Elrohir turned his eyes to look at her, expecting her words. 

“We need to find Lord Glorfindel once we reach the house. The orcs took your father with them. He told me to find the two of you and Lord Glorfindel after the fight was over.” She had to use all of her will power to have the strength to say those words out loud, using all of her determination to keep her composure. 

The younger twin did not say anything in return but she saw a flash of anger dart through his eyes. Elladan opened his eyes at her news, his face turning to look at hers, searching to verify the dreadful truth in her words inside her eyes. Finally, Elrohir nodded his head but his gray eyes remained burning with anger now mixed with the greatest glint of worry she had ever seen cross his silver gaze. 

“That would explain why the orcs retired so suddenly. Find Glorfindel.” ordered Elladan looking at his twin, his voice surprising her for he had not spoken in what felt like hours. 

The sound of his voice felt like a song to her ears, more reassuring than anything in Arda. It made her believe he was fine, completely alright, even if that was not the case at the moment. He spoke calmly and yet she knew that his voice was only an exterior mask, not communicating the interior reaction that her words had caused. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. 

She was well aware that the news were not easy to take, and for a second she wished that the twins would openly react. She could almost feel Elrohir nearly raging in the inside. She herself was angered, frustrated scared, deeply worried for the Elf-Lord’s life, and he was not her father. She could only imagined how the news would feel to the two identical elves.

“Let us get you inside first” answered Elrohir to his twin with a nod of his head. 

The short distance into the safety of the well-lit and dry Main Hall seemed to stretch eternally. By the time they slowly made it into the hall Elrohir carried most of Elladan’s weight, who seemed to slump even more with the effort of each step he took. He had nearly collapsed twice on the way, weak and disoriented by the fast blood loss. 

Elves were still moving around and she noticed that the number of dead orcs lying on the floor had significantly reduced. The presence of the twins was instantly acknowledged as the despairing elves looked at them in hopes that someone would take charge of the situation, probably even silently wondering why the Lord of Imladris was not there taking the lead by now. 

“Elladan! Elrohir!” a voice yelled and the three of them turned to face the quickly approaching Prince of Mirkwood. His sky blue eyes widened as he noticed the elder twin half carried by his brother. 

The blond elf had participated in the battle by looks of it. He carried a bow clenched in one hand and his own tunic was also muddied and drenched in rainwater. He too seemed completely unharmed as she watched him hurry to their side to help Elrohir guide Elladan further into the Main Hall. 

“What happened? They retired as suddenly as they came and more so, none of the orcs seemed to be willing to fight me, I was being completely ignored.” Legolas said while two other elves came rushing towards them, quickly coming to the aid of their injured young lord as soon as they saw the three appear through the main doors. 

“I do not know” was Elrohir’s rushed reply. “I myself got at the least eight jumping straight at me, and I am sure he did too, if not more” he said gesturing towards Elladan whose eyes were once again tightly closed. 

“My Lords” said the first of the two elves to reach them; the other right at his heels. “How badly is he injured?” 

The second elf, also blond like the first one, but slightly taller, reached to take over Elerrina, and she waited until he had the tunic firmly gripped in his hands before letting go. Her hands now held only the thin silver chain upon which hung Vilya, invisible inside her palm. She had even forgotten about the ring while she focused on stopping the son of Elrond from bleeding. 

“A blow to the shoulder. I do not know for sure the extent of the damage, it was too dark outside, but it is deep and will not stop bleeding” Informed the younger twin while the blond elf proceeded to inspect the wound underneath the bloodied tunic.

“My Lord, do you know where Lord Elrond is? No one has seen him after the battle and he is greatly needed to help with the injured” asked the first elf and Elerrina could see the worried look in his eyes, clearly telling her that they had already looked for the Elf-Lord around the house but to no avail. 

“How many are there wounded?” was Elrohir’s answer, evading the question with another one.

“Twenty-three. Twenty-four if we count Lord Elladan, and all of them are dark haired. They only attacked dark haired elves, my Lord, I was pushed aside as I tried to help.” 

Legolas’ head snapped to face the younger twin, his eyes worried and suspicious, his brow furrowed at the piece of information received. Elrohir’s own brow furrowed equally and she was sure his mind was working quickly as he gazed intently into the elf she did not know before nodding his head. 

She heard steps running fast into the Main Hall, coming from a corridor at her left and Elrohir turned his head quickly in that direction. 

“Glorfindel!” 

Elrohir yelled and she turned to find the golden haired warrior hurrying towards them at the distance, his face wary, preoccupied, and she had no doubt that he knew the Elf-Lord was no longer among them. The younger twin then turned his attention back to the blond elf and spoke quickly. 

“Selemar, gather the healers, they will have to manage on their own for the time being. The orcs took my Adar with them, It seems this was not an attack to Imladris, but a plan to capture its Lord. I will join you to help with the wounded in a while.” 

She saw the first elf’s, Selemar from what she had heard, eyes grow wide in shock and disbelief, and she knew that the sole idea of orcs attacking the peaceful valley to capture the Elf-Lord while in his own house was infuriating. Legolas’ eyes also shone with bewilderment at the news, infinite blue eyes staring worriedly at Elrohir’s silver ones. 

Elrohir threw a quick glance at Glorfindel, who was very close to them now, before turning back to face the other elves. Legolas only nodded his head, without pronouncing any word, and stepped in to take over the younger twin in supporting Elladan upright. 

“Leave him to me” whispered the Elf Prince as Elrohir slowly stepped aside, gently shifting Elladan’s weight to Legolas, who wrapped his arm around the elder twin’s waist to stabilize him. 

She saw Elrohir watch as Legolas got complete hold of his twin and she felt him battle with himself, not wanting to leave his brother’s side. She did not want to leave Elladan’s side either, but she knew she would have to. She knew she and Elrohir had to go meet the golden haired warrior, and she trusted that the elf she cared most for in the room would be safe in the hands of the blond Prince and two other elves. 

“I will tend to him, Lord Elrohir” said Selemar calmly, and Elerrina knew then that he must be one of the master healers in the house for Elrohir nodded his head before turning to face her and signaling her to walk with him towards Glorfindel. 

“Let us take him to his chambers. The Healing Ward is far too full” She heard the blond elf say as they slowly started guiding Elladan away, her eyes glued to him, staring at his slumped form; at his long dark hair that dripped to the floor; at his liquid silver eyes hidden behind tightly shut eyelids. She had to force her eyes to look away from him and follow Elrohir. 

“Elrohir!” came Glorfindel’s voice as he reached them, his eyes looking from her to the twin, worried. “Where is your father? Have you seen him?”

Elrohir did not answer right away, and his lack of response received another question from the golden haired warrior. 

“Was he captured?” The question sounded as if he already knew the answer and only wanted for someone to prove him wrong. He seemed irate at the thought of the Elf-Lord being captured and she had a feeling that if he could go running behind the orcs to rescue his friend in that exact moment he would do it. 

“Yes” replied Elrohir and she saw the flash of burning anger sparkle through his eyes once more. “Elerrina told me about it, so she must know what happened. It seems they came for him, it seems that was their plan from the beginning. They attacked selectively, only at dark haired elves, from what Selemar informed me. They were clearly looking for someone.” 

“Or something” added Glorfindel and she instantly knew what he meant, part of her wondering if he knew she had the ring inside her palm, right in front of him. 

“Come, we will go to his study. I want to know what happened” the Balrog Slayer looked directly at her as he said those words and she felt completely exposed. Then he turned to Elrohir again. “And we must decide how to act, see if we can send a search party as soon as we can…”


	23. Vilya

The familiar room looked exactly the same as it had the times she had visited it, but it felt incredibly strange to Elerrina at that moment. The elegant, welcoming study felt empty, lifeless, as if its very soul had suddenly vanished, reducing it merely to another spacious room inside the house. A fire roared vividly on the fireplace, its red flames dancing smoothly, cracking every now and then as they burned the wood that fed them, but she could not feel its warmth.

None of the elves had said a word as they entered the large study, probably feeling the same way she did. They had not knocked on the door for they knew its usual occupier would not be inside. Part of her had almost hoped to find the tall dark haired figure sitting behind the finely crafted desk, but they were faced with the cold image of an empty chair. 

The large desk was covered in parchments and scrolls, the fine crystal inkpot open with an exquisite quill lying next to it, even a book laid upon the oak surface, its yellow pages opened near the middle. Everything about the room remained untouched, in the exact place it had been left, and it seemed as it Lord Elrond would waltz in at any second, tall and powerful as ever with his kind eyes smiling at them.

Glorfindel and Elrohir walked directly towards the seats by the fire, Elerrina following closely behind, the three of them completely silent. The golden haired warrior handed them each a warm blanket and she suddenly remembered her drenched dress and hair, which dripped over the rich carpet. She watched hopelessly as Elrohir sat heavily on one of the cushioned chairs, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands cradled his head, his damp raven strands of hair falling forward as his eyes focused on his lap. He looked miserable, and she felt that way too. 

“Elrohir, can you reach your father’s mind through your bond?” Came Glorfindel’s calmed voice as he sat on the seat directly in front of her, next to the younger twin. 

She stared at the dark haired elf as he remained unmoving, his face hidden from view. Silence settled inside the room as they waited for long minutes, and her mind travelled back to Elladan; to the way his silver eyes had shut tight to hide his pain, the way he dangerously swayed on his feet as his strength faded from the blood loss, and she wished to be by his side. Finally the younger twin’s voice echoed through the room. 

“He is alive, although unconscious” The hurt in his voice made Elerrina’s heart shatter as she watched Elrohir’s still figure, his head still cradled in his hands, looking down. 

“They came for him. That was their only purpose: to capture him.” The younger twin muttered without lifting his gaze to meet anyone, his voice cold with fury, distant. “Why did no one notice the orcs were looking for him? Why did no one see them take him while they retired?” 

“Where you not at the fight? Did you not see the house? It was a complete chaos both outside and inside. It seemed as if Mordor itself had fallen over us. There was not a way in Arda anyone could have had the smallest idea of what was happening. I believe that was the purpose of their ambush: to confuse all of us, catch us by surprise in a fight while they looked for Elrond.” Said Glorfindel addressing Elrohir directly. 

“I know that. I could barely see what was happening around me” Snapped the dark haired elf lifting his head to direct his gaze at the Balrog Slayer. 

Elrohir’s characteristic kind silver gaze was now iced, hard, burning with hatred as it glared into the warrior’s blue ones. Her body tensed at the unfamiliar sight as she involuntarily sunk back in her seat. Her heart hardened with sadness; this was barely the same elf she had come to know. 

The golden haired warrior showed no reaction to the iced glare. His expression remained the same, a calmed mask that would not break, and she wondered if perhaps he had anticipated that kind of reaction from the younger twin. She watched, frozen, as Elrohir lowered once again his head to his hands. 

“There is a matter far more important to discuss, Elrohir.” Continued the Balrog Slayer, but the dark haired elf did not lift his head to look up as he listened. “If they have your father, they have Vilya. I am not sure if getting the ring was their intention, or if that is only an extra they have won without having knowledge of it.   
You know what will happen if the ring falls into the wrong hands.” 

She felt a cold shiver wash through her at the mention of the ring she held tightly inside her palm. She did not know what scared her most: having the ring with her, or announcing to the golden haired elf that she had it. She had already seen the extension of Elrohir’s anger reflected in his hard eyes and did not want to find out Glorfindel’s. She took a deep calming breath before speaking up the truth, remembering that the Elf-Lord had asked her to tell Glorfindel and his sons. 

“They do not have it” 

Tension hung inside the room as her words echoed through the book-covered walls, seeming way louder than expected. Both pairs of eyes turned sharply to look at hers, perplexed. Blue eyes wary, distant and impossible to read; silver ones hard and cold, confusion sparkling in its depths. She wished she could be anywhere else in Arda, but her body acted separately from her mind as she held her gaze steady, her face as expressionless as she could. 

“They do not have the ring. I have it” She repeated just as Glorfindel gave her a very intense look, observing her slowly as his brow furrowed in puzzlement. Even the iced anger inside Elrohir’s eyes suddenly vanished to be replaced by deep worry and confusion, but the silver orbs remained as cold and hard as before, no longer kind and reassuring. It looked as if something had snapped inside the younger twin, as if some kind of forgotten hatred had suddenly revived. 

Glorfindel tilted his head slightly to one side, eying her carefully as he motioned for her to elaborate. Slowly and without breaking his gaze, she opened her palm, revealing the little pearl and the exquisite blue-stoned jewel that now hung from the delicate chain. She saw both elves look at her palm for a long moment as if trying to find something before Elrohir’s eyebrows shot up questioningly. 

“Where is it?” Asked the twin, his eyes deeply confused as he looked once again inside her palm. 

Suddenly remembering that Elrond had told her he could not see the ring while she held it, Elerrina grabbed the chain with her other hand and let the ring hang freely from it, no longer touching her skin. Both pairs of eyes widened instantly as the majestic and terrifying jewel became visible to their eyes. 

“Were you wearing it?” Demanded Glorfindel immediately, his eyes wary. 

“No” She answered with a slight shake of her head. The jewel terrified her more than she would dare to admit, she would never even think of wearing it. Glorfindel’s soft blue eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at her. 

“Put it on your palm again” He commanded slowly and she saw Elrohir’s eyes dart form him to the ring and then back to her. 

Looking deeply into the watchful pair of soft blue eyes that studied her every move, Elerrina let the chain fall onto her waiting palm, holding it open so that the golden haired warrior could see it clearly. Exactly as it had happened with the Elf-Lord hours ago, the majestic blue stone in the middle of the gold band glowed dully as it touched her skin, the blue light swirling slowly inside it while soft whispers started to emanate from it. 

“Did he see this? Did Elrond see this?” Glorfindel’s eyes scrutinized her dark green ones as he spoke, his voice soft, as if wanting her to comprehend every single word clearly. 

“See what, my lord?” She asked slowly, her eyes still trapped inside his watchful blue ones. 

“Did he see the ring become invisible at your touch?” He specified and she felt the image of the Elf-Lord’s pained silver eyes staring at her palm flash through her mind once more. 

“Yes” 

Glorfindel simply nodded his head in reply and Elerrina wished he would say something else. She did not comprehend what was happening, why the ring disappeared when she held it? Was it not supposed to? Yet, she did not dare ask as she remained sitting still and watched Elrohir exchange a look with the golden haired warrior. 

“Elerrina, I wish to know everything my Adar said to you tonight. What happened?” Elrohir’s eyes locked with hers and she could see deep authority in them, cold and distant, but strong, taking the lead in his father’s absence. 

She opened her mouth but, before she could speak, the large wooden door was gently pushed open. Another tall, dark-haired, elf walked into the room, closing the door gently behind him as he advanced towards the three of them. His face looked solemn, grave, as his saddened blue eyes traveled from Glorfindel to Elrohir. 

“I heard” He said in a voice as grave and somber as his expression. Elrohir’s silver eyes turned down again, fixing absently on the rich carpet as the new elf stood behind him, resting one hand on his shoulder in an attempt to offer some comfort. 

“I thought you might need this after seeing your old one” The stranger said handing Elrohir a dry tunic in a dark blue color. The twin accepted it silently and threw it on. 

 

The newcomer’s eyes found her and he gazed at her figure with a mixture of confusion and suspicion before his eyes locked with Glorfindel’s. 

“This is Elerrina” Said the Balrog Slayer absently. 

“I know that” Came the calmed reply as the stranger’s blue eyes looked at her again, his mute question unanswered.

“She has Vilya, Erestor. The orcs took Elrond, but not the ring. He entrusted it to her.” The dark haired elf, Erestor from what she had heard, turned to look back at her, his eyes wide with the new information. So he also knew about the ring. 

“Do you know why?” He asked Glorfindel, his voice betraying his deep surprise and confusion. 

“We were about to hear what Elrond said about it” 

The golden haired warrior’s tone announced the end of the conversation as the three pairs of eyes turned to look at her expectantly. She locked eyes with Elrohir, unsure if she should speak in the presence of the new elf, even if he knew about the existence of the ring. 

“Erestor can hear anything you have to say.” Said the twin reassuringly as he nodded at her “He and Glorfindel know more about Vilya than me or Elladan” 

She nodded her head slowly and proceeded to speak. 

“I was running from the battle, trying to find a place to hide, when Lord Elrond pulled me into a hallway, taking me behind him as he ran. He did not say anything, and I did not ask. Orcs were following us, too many of them. He pulled me inside an empty room and ordered me to hide inside a cabinet, which I did. Then he asked for my necklace,” she made a pause as he gazed at the chain in her hand “and slipped the ring there, handing it back to me.”

The other elves remained silent, looking at her intently and she continued speaking. 

“He did not say anything, and at first I refused to take it, but he insisted. He said that he could not hide for long and instructed that I must remain hidden until after the battle was over, and that then I must go find you.” She looked at Glorfindel and Elrohir to make sure they understood she meant them. 

“He said that the ring must not be found. Told me to keep it safe and not to wear it or wield it. He said that the orcs did not know I existed and therefore would not look for me. He said…” she trailed off, feeling a cold shiver down her spine as she remembered what the Elf-Lord had told her. 

“He said what?” Pressed Elrohir and she focused her gaze on his hard silver eyes as she spoke. 

“He said they believed me dead. And then he left me hidden with the ring while he returned to the fight outside, but the orcs found us before he even left the room. They mentioned the ring as they took him, something about it being invisible and that they should search his hands. I did not see anything because I was hiding, but I heard everything” 

Elerrina left out the last part, when the Elf-Lord had told her to look inside his desk. She did not now the reason, but felt that that part had been directly with her.

“So they were indeed after Elrond and the ring, and he knew it.” Glorfindel was the first to talk, the other two remained silent, their minds processing the information. 

“Elrond Peredhel, you fooled them all. Of course you would think of everything” The golden haired warrior shook his head lightly as he added in a barely audible voice.

“What do you think they will do with him if they believe he has the ring?” Asked Elrohir as his cold eyes bounced from Erestor to Glorfindel. She could see fear for his father’s life clearly reflected in his silver gaze.

“What worries me is what will happen once they find out he does not have it. If they were after the ring, as we just heard they were, they will not kill him as long as they think he has it, or that he at least knows where it is kept” 

Erestor was the one to answer, and Elerrina could feel all of their worry floating tensely in the air. She could feel the same question running wildly inside each of their minds: how had the orcs known about the ring? How had they known the Elf-Lord was its master?

“What do I do with the ring, my lord?” She asked the Balrog Slayer, unable to contain her questions anymore. 

“Keep it with you” Glorfindel’s soft blue eyes pierced her deeply and she could feel the weight of his command all over her body. Suddenly she remembered the Elf-Lord had told her those same words, his silver eyes holding the same imperative air as the golden haired elf. 

“Why not lock it safely in its chest?” Asked Elrohir as his brow furrowed in puzzlement. Glorfindel turned to look at him and shook his head before answering. 

“Vilya responds to Elerrina. It becomes invisible at her touch the same it does when your father wears it, which means it is awake. She shares a connection to the ring, as we have seen before, but it is a different than the one Elrond shares with it. She does not master the ring, it does not acknowledge her as such, but it opens to her as if it were…part of her, shared the same essence. If she keeps it with her, the ring is safely hidden, and it will remain awake and alert, still connected to Elrond. If said connection works indeed in the way I believe it does, as long as the ring remains awake, Elerrina and your father will still share a link between their minds.” 

Glorfindel’s eyes turned to look at her, soft blue penetrating into her soul as he spoke clearly once more, directly to her. 

“I want you to tell me if anything changes about the ring, or if you see or hear anything.” 

Elerrina nodded her head, no longer finding her voice to speak while trapped in the Balrog Slayer’s watchful gaze. Vilya continued to glow dimly inside her palm, suddenly feeling more terrifying than ever, emanating such a strong power from it that she felt it could posses her, pull her into it. And, in between its soft, strange whispers, she could feel it calling to its master, longing to return to him. 

Not wanting to look at it anymore, she tied the delicate necklace back around her neck, letting the ring hang next to the tiny pearl, invisible to the eye.

“Glorfindel, go see how soon can we send a search party.” Ordered Erestor as he started to walk towards the elegant desk. “I will send message of tonight’s events to Mirkwood and Lorien, the need to be alert in case something of the sort was also planned for them.” 

The golden haired warrior stood from his seat and headed towards the door in complete silence, becoming clear to Elerrina that explanations were over. She sat frozen for a moment, waiting for an order or a dismissal but nothing came. Erestor was currently hunched over the desk, the quill already in his hand as he quickly scribbled something on a piece of parchment, and Elrohir remained sitting quietly, his iced gaze lost in the cracking fireplace. 

Slowly, the younger twin turned his silver eyes to meet hers and it hurt her deeply when she found them cold and unwelcoming. She could almost feel the pain emanating from his body, and knew the coldness, anger and distance was simply his way to react to it. Deep inside, Elerrina knew there had to be a reason for this reaction, but it did not matter at the moment.

He nodded to her as he stood up, and she imitated him, following his tall form as he walked calmly towards the door and out of the elegant study. The hallway outside was not inviting, as the gloomy ghosts of the recent fight still lurked around the columns and pointed arches, but still it felt slightly better than inside the study. 

“I should go help with the injured, and there are other matters I need to tend to in my Adar and Elladan’s absences.” He told her softly, his voice sad and his face unreadable while his eyes focused on her without really looking at her. The silver orbs remained cold, but they were empty, as if they had lost all of their radiant light.

“Can I be of any help to you?” 

She hoped there was something she could do, anything to at least lift some of the heavy weight from his shoulders. She felt helpless, unable to even offer him her comfort like he had done to her before the battle. He simply shook his head as his silver gaze found her green eyes once again. 

“No. But I can think of someone who would like your company at this moment” His lip curved up in the faintest of smiles and deep inside his distant silver eyes she saw a sparkle of warmth and the faint glow of his usual kind gaze.

“Thank, you” She said, and she had never meant it that much.

Grateful, she offered him a warm smile before turning around and heading down the long hallway. She heard Elrohir head the other way, but did not turn around, her mind finding space only for Elladan. 

She reached the beautifully crafted door that led to the elder twin’s chamber just as Legolas came out through it. His light blue eyes found hers easily, looking at her in the same familiar way they had since their day by the waterfall. She knew he had heard her as she approached the chambers. 

“How is he?” Her voice came out as a mere whisper and he smiled softly at her, infinite blue eyes sparkling gently at the soothing candlelight. 

“He is fine” He said, his voice calmed and gentle “The wound is not as bad as it looked, the real danger was the amount of blood that was coming out. You should go in. He is awake, although somewhat drowsy and numb from the pain draught. He is probably tired of seeing my face. I had a clean dress be brought for you since I figured you would come here before your own chambers” He smiled reassuringly at her and she smiled back in thanks, nodding as she walked by him and entered through the open door.

The large bedchamber was lighted dimly with some candles, bright enough to see clearly around the room, but dark enough to allow peaceful sleep. Her gaze travelled to the large bed, where Elladan lay underneath the pale gold covers, resting on several pillows. Her heart ached at the sight of the white bandages that covered his left shoulder and part of his bare chest. He looked so vulnerable.

Elladan rolled his head to the side to look at her as he heard her enter the piece, his gray eyes half-open under heavy eyelids, his silver irises sparkling like stars under the shimmering candlelight. She could almost feel his exhaustion, his body aching dully with the wound, and she desperately wanted to hold him, to soothe him. Silently, she walked towards the bed, sitting gently on its edge, to his right side, careful not to move too much as to not disturb him. His sleepy silver eyes followed her the whole time.

“Hello” His voice came out weak, a faint whisper, and his lips smiled at her softly. She smiled back, letting herself be lost inside his liquid silver gaze.

“How do you feel?” She asked softly as she gently took his right hand in hers. He wrapped his fingers around hers in return, the grip weak but steady, and she felt his thumb caress lightly the back of her hand. He chuckled weakly at the question before answering with another tired smile. 

“Right now, I simply do not feel.” Now it was her turn to chuckle softly at his words, remembering the pain draught Legolas had mentioned. 

“You look tired.” She saw him close his eyes for a brief moment before his liquid silver irises turned to her once more. 

“I am.” He admitted truthfully and her heart filled with warmth at the honesty in his eyes. She had been dreading that he would not tell her if he were truly hurting, that he would try to hide his weakness from her, and felt immensely relieved that he felt comfortable confiding in her. Although she was sure that he would not be honest about the extent of his exhaustion or pain, he would hide it for her sake.

Elerrina reached her free hand to his head and gently let her fingers stroke his dark hair, enjoying the soothing feeling of the soft, silky strands. His eyes closed in response to her touch and he lay like that for some minutes, breathing evenly. She could almost feel him succumbing to tiredness and for a moment she believed he was finally asleep, but he opened his eyes once more, only halfway. 

“What did you discuss with Glorfindel?” His voice was barely audible and she smiled at his persistent fight against the effects of the draught. He would not last much longer awake.

“I will tell you when you wake up. All of it.” She let her fingers continue to gently stroke his hair, slowly lulling him to sleep and he once again let his eyelids fall over his silver eyes.

“How is Elrohir?” She had to lean in to listen to his words this time and he did not open his eyes as he spoke.

“Go to sleep. I will be here” Was her answer and he seemed to listen to her this time for he fell silent. She stroked his dark strands of hair until she heard his breathing become slower and even. 

Quietly she stood up from the bed and walked towards the elegant golden curtains, pulling them all closed against the breaking dawn. The sun would be up soon, and she did not want the light disturbing Elladan’s healing sleep. After that, she proceed to take the clean and dry dress that had been laid out for her and walked to the door leading to the adjacent washroom to change, eager to get out of her damp and cold one. 

Now in the comfort of the clean and warm clothing, she pulled a chair next to the bed and sat on it, taking his hand in hers as she watched him, her heart aching at the sight of his closed eyes. Slowly her own tiredness consumed her, and before she could realize it she was letting her head fall over her folded arms upon the soft, pale gold covers. 

“Rina?” She had to blink twice to shake the tiredness from her eyes as she lifted her head to look at Elladan’s barely open silver eyes. She had thought he was asleep already.

“Please lie on the bed with me. Do not sleep on that chair, it cannot be comfortable.” His voice was barely audible as his eyes pleaded silently. She rose from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed once again, placing her hand over his. She knew he was concerned for her, wanted her comfortable, but she could also feel that he needed her company. 

“Will I not hurt you?” She would rather sleep on the hard chair than causing him any unnecessary pain while she slept. 

“No” His voice sounded honest, and she believed him. 

“Will you tell if I do?” He looked at her for a moment and offered her a reassuring, tired smile that made her feel slightly better. 

“I will. Just lie at my right side” She smiled at the specification, already feeling he would be completely honest with her. 

Too tired to add anything else, Elerrina climbed on the bed, choosing to lie close to him, already feeling safe and content next to his soothing presence. She could already feel him slowly drifting off, unable to fight sleep any longer, as she rested her head on his chest, just below his right shoulder. She felt his arm wrap around her instinctively as he buried his face in her golden hair, his warm breath caressing the spot just above her ear, becoming slower and relaxed as sleep took hold of him until she knew he was no longer awake. 

She felt her own tiredness slowly consume her and she did not fight it, willingly letting the safety of her dreams claim her and, as she slowly drifted off, lying there close to him, feeling the warmth of his body, safe in his arms as he slept peacefully, she knew that she loved him.


	24. Almarëa

s standing under the heavy canopy of a dense forest, light scarcely filtering in golden rays through the green leaves. She remembered the place, remembered the odd sensation of nothingness: not a sound, not a smell. Without taking the time to explore her surroundings, she let her green eyes travel to the shallow stream that ran a couple of feet ahead of her, already familiar with what was coming. 

The little elfling was there, crouching on a large rock by the edge of the water, light blond hair hiding his lowered face from view as he looked into the mirror surface. However, this time she did not need to see his face to know his identity. It was Legolas. 

He remained looking down, completely oblivious to her presence, as had happened before. His hand reached down to the water, playing absently with the clear liquid as his lips moved with the melody of an unheard song. 

Little Legolas reached his tiny hand down to the water, pressing his palm lightly on the surface as his eyes locked on the wave of soft ripples that emerged at his touch. Elerrina had seen him do this on the previous dream, but this time she knew what to do. She walked closer to the edge of the stream, just across from the playing elfling as she watched him repeat the single move over and over again. 

Lowering herself to the grass she moved her own hand to touch the water, her fingers falling lightly over the crease of each ripple produced by his hand. She could feel the water, touch it and actually feel the soothing wet coolness over her fingers. It was completely unlike the grass that felt only like a hard surface beneath her knees, merely a projected illusion inside her own mind. 

The elfling’s head suddenly snapped up, and Elerrina held her breath involuntary as her eyes met a big, innocent pair of infinite blue eyes. A smile was drawn on little Legolas’ lips as his eyes locked into hers, filled with recognition, acknowledging her presence across the stream from him. 

She watched silently as the light blond elfling placed his hand once more on the water, his big, soft blue eyes never leaving hers as he smiled, his mouth moving to words she could not hear. She looked at the hand and back into his innocent eyes in confusion just as new ripples danced upon the mirror surface. She understood what he was expecting from her and so she repeated the game, touching the ripples softly as she kept her gaze steady on his. 

Little Legolas squealed in delight, the sweet, joyful melody of his childish giggles reaching her ears almost like a distant echo. The first sound she heard in that dream yet. He was still looking at her as he pointed a tiny finger to her, his mouth moving once again in words that she could not hear, although she desperately wanted to. She stared as he pointed, repeating his words, not understanding why she was not answering. Then he looked at the water and back up at her, and guessing what he wanted from her Elerrina reached down to the water again. It was her turn. 

Slowly, she pressed her own palm over the now calmed surface, awaiting to see his reaction, and could not help a wide smile from forming on her lips as the little Prince reached down and touched the ripples in the same way she had seconds ago. It was as if he was answering to her, as if the simple game meant something to him. His giggles echoed distantly again, and she delighted in the sound, so pure and innocent, so filled with life. 

Then he stood up and quickly spun around, the back of his light blond head facing her now and she watched, predicting exactly what would happen, as he ran away from her and into the forest. 

The heavy forest transformed again in the bright hall that vanished into white light as she saw Legolas flung himself in the waiting arms of the golden haired lady. The scene repeated itself equally as the last time, the lady pressing her nose to his little one as he squealed. Her golden hair danced around freely as she placed a kiss on the elfling’s white forehead, and the tiny elf wrapped his arms securely around her neck as he turned to look at her. 

For the third time, Elerrina saw his mouth move as his infinite eyes fixed on her, but no words reached her ears. Then, unexpectedly, the golden haired lady turned to face her, her eyes locking with hers in a long, welcoming stare. Elerrina froze at the sight of her delicate features, her pale skin adorned by her golden locks, and her beautiful, familiar, bright green eyes. And, for the first time, the pair of green eyes sparkled with life and joy, looking at her with recognition, and not staring at the dark sky above, empty and glazed in the cold grasp of death… 

Elerrina woke up with a start, taking a sharp intake of breath and blinking a couple of times until she remembered where she was. She closed her eyes trying to erase the bright pair of green eyes from her mind as she concentrated on the soothing rise and fall of her head with every breath Elladan took. 

She felt a light kiss pressed gently on her head and her eyes opened once more.

“Bad dream?” Elladan’s voice whispered on her ear, sending shivers down her spine as his lips brushed the tip of her pointed ear as he spoke. Immediately she turned to look up to find a gorgeous pair or silver eyes fixed on her, sparkling like stars in the dimly lit room. 

“Your are awake!” she whispered back, choosing not to answer his question, as she propped herself up on her elbow to be able to look at him better. 

He did not move and continued to lie flatly on his back, his liquid silver eyes staring deeply at her and she felt herself drown inside them, unable to escape his powerful stare. Incapable of containing herself, she leaned forward and pressed her lips fully to his mouth. He kissed her back deepening the short kiss and tilting his head up slightly in a longing effort to make it last longer once she had parted her lips from his. A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he looked up at her, but it vanished too shortly after as darkness flashed in his eyes and his expression turned empty, exactly like Elrohir’s had been the last time she had seen him. 

She started to push herself up into a sitting position, but his strong arm held her down, pulling her body close to his, and she did not fight it. Instead, she rested her head on his chest again, feeling his gloomy mood radiate from his body in waves. Elerrina felt relieved upon realizing that his grip was once again as strong as ever.

The image of the golden hair lady, with bright green eyes fixed deeply on her as she held the squealing elfling in her arms, flashed through her mind once again, followed by the haunting image of the same green eyes staring blankly at the sky, dead. She had seen that same beautiful lady in her nightmares before, always lifeless on the cold ground, surrounded by hundreds of bodies whose souls had already departed this world.

“How long have I slept?” she asked in an attempt to deviate her thoughts. She could see the bright sunlight battling to filter through the heavy curtains that kept the room dark. 

“Longer than me, and you were not the one drugged” he answered softly and she could almost hear a mocking smile appearing on his lips as his hand reached to brush a strand of golden hair from her face. She chuckled lightly at his words. 

“How is your shoulder?” Elerrina let the tips of her fingers wander lightly over the edges of the white bandages covering his left shoulder, not daring to touch the areas closer to the wound. 

He took her hand in his; gently lifting it from his chest and shoulder to his lips and kissed it lightly. She could not tell if the action was perhaps to remove her hand from the wounded area, preventing it from accidentally touching it, but she did not ask or say anything. He looked at her for a moment, seeming to consider her question before answering. 

“Would you give me special treatment if I say it hurts terribly?” His eyes sparkled with mischief and she raised her eyebrows at his playful tone, managing to sit up and look down at him. 

“In that case, I will go fetch a healer or Elrohir and ask them to bring you some of that pain relieving tea. Perhaps that could help you rest a little more.” 

He chuckled lightly and shook his head as sat up against the elegant headboard, pushing himself up with only his right arm while his left was kept still at his side.

“No need for that. I am fine, it was merely a scratch” She threw him a glare as she rose from the bed and walked to open the heavy curtains. His definition of a scratch did not match hers in the slightest, yet she knew he was skilled healer and could take care of himself. 

Light filled the room when Elerrina opened the curtains that led to the large balcony, the soft breeze of the day caressing her face as it was once again allowed into the room. She turned again to observe Elladan, who had remained sitting against the headboard with his head looking down, eyes closed and breathing deeply. 

She waited patiently as his dizziness passed and his silver eyes fluttered open to look at her again. She had seen many injured men in her small village, and knew to expect dizziness after losing a considerable amount of blood. She had even helped in the caring of some when she was an elfling, always bringing bowls of steaming water and towels, but she was no healer. 

Elerrina watched him flung his legs to the side of the bed and she walked to offer her help but he waved it off with his hand as he rose to his feet steadily. He got himself a clean tunic in a rich navy blue color and threw it on. She helped him to carefully slip his left arm inside the long sleeve, making sure she was as gentle as she could. 

“Thank you” he whispered as he placed a quick kiss on her lips. 

He let his right hand travel to her neck, the tips of his fingers gently brushing her skin as it slid down the back of her neck. Her heart raced at the gentle touch, threatening to jump out of her chest and she tried in vain not to show the shivers that ran through her body. The soft caress of his hand reached her right collarbone, stopping when his slender fingers came in contact with the thin silver chain around her neck. His fingers then proceeded to trace the path of the chain, down her collarbone and to her chest, slowly, gently, as his eyes followed closely.

Her heart beat faster as his fingers slowly approached the point where the pearl and the ring hung, almost fearing if he would be able to touch the ring. However, just as his fingers were about to fall on the hanging tiny pearl, he stopped and removed his hand, which fell slowly back to his side. Elerrina froze as his eyes turned up to look into hers, the taller pair of silver eyes piercing intently, trapping her, speaking loudly without words. He knew. 

She expected him to talk, to say anything, but he did not. Instead, she silently watched the eldest Son of Elrond as he turned away from her and sat on the edge of the bed, his body facing her, and yet his face turned to the large balcony, eyes fixed somewhere in the distance. 

She remained frozen, unable to move, and struggling to breath evenly in an effort to calm her thundering heart at the hard expression on his face. His lips were pressed together in a line, and his empty eyes were cold and unfriendly, glinted with iced hatred, almost trembling in rage. Elladan refused to look at her, almost as if he felt ashamed of her seeing his eyes so hard and cold, as if scared the iced stare would cause her to fear him. 

Elerrina did not speak, did not even dare to move, her eyes glued to him, silently beckoning him to look her way. She felt her heart tighten as her insides trembled in fear of his sudden rejection, at the way in which he had abruptly turned away from her.

Slowly, Elladan turned his face in her direction, her heart sinking deeper as his eyes lingered on the floor, refusing to meet her green ones, a thing they were usually eager to do. He kept them low, hidden from her view under his lowered dark lashes, as his right arm extended towards her, motioning her to go to him.

She felt herself release the breath she did not know she had been holding, and hurried to him, letting his strong arm pull her to sit on his lap, tightly pressing her back to his chest. He pressed his forehead to her shoulder from behind, eyes hidden tightly in the fabric of her dress as he held her by the waist, the grip holding her for dear life, unwilling to let her go. His silky dark hair fell over her shoulder and side of her neck, the top of his head brushing her cheek softly as she felt the weight of his head just next to her neck.

She could feel his heart bumping hardly on his chest and uncontainable, strong emotions swirling freely through him, making him tremble lightly in rage as he desperately tried to control himself. She could feel his body emanate a wild storm of fear, despair, pain, hopelessness, anger, hatred, and rage. 

Immediately Elerrina understood that his emotions were both his and Elrohir’s combined; that it had been through Elrohir’s mind that he had come to know of the ring hanging on her neck; and that the reaction he was having to the events of the past night was the same younger twin had tried to hide and control the night before, only that she could not feel Elrohir’s emotions as she could Elladan’s. She knew that the twins shared an incredibly tight bond, and that they could feel exactly what the other felt.

She wanted to embrace him, but remained unmoving, allowing him all the time he needed. After a moment he seemed to slowly calm down from his fury, and the tight hold of his arm on her waist became softer, allowing her to shift in his arms to the side so she could look at him. Elladan removed his head from her shoulder, but immediately turned away form her, eyes once again fixed on the floor, unwilling to meet her gaze. 

“What happened during the battle last night? What did you discuss with Glorfindel?” 

She tensed as his mouth spoke the questions she had hoped she would not need to answer him. But then again, he already knew. There was no way Elrohir could have kept it form him. 

“How much do you already know?” her voice came out as only a whisper, sounding calmed and soothing. She did not know the specific reason, but both twins had raged with hatred upon hearing the story of their father’s capture; a hatred that went deeper than just anger. 

“All of it” he said with a sigh as he finally turned his face to look at her, saddened liquid silver eyes staring softly into her forest green ones. She reached her hand to his cheek and he leaned into her gentle touch. His hand reached once again to trace the thin chain around her neck to indicate just how much he knew. 

“Would you like me to tell you again?” Elerrina would not mind telling the long story again, if he needed to hear it. He seemed to consider her words for a minute as his eyes looked down once more. After a long moment he shook his head. No. 

“Forgive me” he said finally as his eyes stared into hers. “Elrohir is slowly going into despair and the thought of my Adar in the hands of those creatures….” He trailed off as his eyes hardened again. He sighed and changed the direction if his words

“There is not much we can do to help at the moment. The orcs took off in every direction, and we have no knowledge which group carried my father. Search parties set off at dawn, one in every possible direction until we can find a track. Once we do, Elrohir and I will go, and I am sure Glorfindel will too, with as many elves as possible, but we cannot leave the valley until then. We cannot leave the people of Imladris in my father’s absence. They are our people.” 

She nodded in understanding as she felt part of his despair. She remembered her own despair when she had found Naervaiel dead, and she had been unable to do anything about it. She had raged. She had blamed him, had hit him endlessly, desperately wanting him to feel as much pain as she felt. Yet, she could only image how greater the despair could feel, knowing that the twins could still help their father, and at the same time, could not. She kissed him gently on the lips, providing the little comfort she could. 

“There is one more thing your father said to me before he was captured. I did not tell Elrohir.” 

Elladan’s eyebrows shot up questioningly as his eyes looked puzzled, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue. 

“He told me to search on his desk. The second drawer to the left.” She stared into his eyes, seeking for an answer inside the gorgeous silver irises. Perhaps he already knew what was in the drawer; perhaps he would tell her not to look. She wanted to search in the desk, curiosity getting the best of her. Yet, Lord Elrond’s ring around her neck already proved why some things were best kept a secret. 

“And you have not looked in the drawer yet” he stated, reading her as easily as usual. Elerrina nodded her head but remained silent. 

“Do you want me to go with you while you look? Or would you rather do it by yourself? I can arrange it for no one to disturb you inside the study, if you want me to” She smiled softly at his words, feeling that he would not press her. 

“Do you already know what is kept inside it?” she asked him. 

“No. He keeps all sorts of things inside his desk. Mostly paperwork.” 

“Would you go with me?” She did not know what she would find inside the study, but knew that with Elladan by her side, it would all right. He kissed her lightly on the cheek before answering her. 

“Of course” 

She stood up from his lap to allow him to stand. He led her out of the bedchamber and into the large hallways of the house. Despair and hopelessness floated through the long corridors and elegant halls as all the elves in the house waited anxiously for news about their Lord. Elladan led her through deserted hallways, not in the mood to be noticed by any elf and having to start a conversation. 

They reached the elegant study in less time than she had expected. Elladan let her go in first and closed the heady doors after him, leaving the large room only to themselves. With a quick glance around the study she noticed that everything still remained in its exact place. It seemed no one had had the courage to touch anything, not even to arrange the mess of papers that now lay on the floor, blown out from the neat pile upon the desk by a soft breeze that filtered through a cracked window. 

If the sight of the empty room had any effect on the elder twin, he did not show it. He slowly walked by her to the large desk and she watched him gently slide a hand upon the oak surface, as if lost in his thoughts. Elladan turned to look at her, his silver eyes encouraging in a long loving stare. 

“Go ahead” he said softly, offering her a smile. 

Without answering, Elerrina reached for the indicated drawer, her fingers wrapping around the elaborate copper handle. Shaking away a last moment of doubt, she slowly pulled it open and the wooden drawer slid out easily with a soft brushing sound. She had not known what she was expecting, but felt her heart sink upon seeing what was kept in the drawer: Papers, many parchments of papers. 

She saw Elladan furrow his brow at her disappointed look as he took a couple of steps closer to her. 

“What is it?” 

Elerrina looked at him before looking down at the drawer filled with papers. Carefully she grabbed them in her hands and looked at the top one closely. She then turned to glance quickly at the next one, and then the next, not really reading much of them. 

“They are letters” 

She looked back at him, her green eyes puzzled. She did not comprehend anything. Why letters? Elladan, however, did not seem willing to remain confused and he took the bunch of old, yellowish paper from her hand and divided in half, keeping on with him and handing her back the other. 

“I can read them out loud.” he said, and she was once reminded that she could not read that beautiful script that adorned the yellowing pages. 

“Are you sure we should read them?” It did not feel right to read some else’s correspondence, let alone the Lord of Imladris’. Elladan seemed to notice her reluctance for he addressed her again. 

“He said to search into the drawer. If your conscience does not allow you to read my father’s letters, I can assure you that my conscience is perfectly fine with it. I have done worse things.” He grinned mischievously as his eyes sparkled with carefreeness and she wondered what other worse things had he done. 

Sighing in defeat she threw herself on a large seat and remorsefully waited for Elladan to read. Elladan threw himself on a comfortable couch that resembled more a long chair, a couple of feet from her, eyes already scanning quickly over the scribbled words. 

The first letter was not old, only from a couple of years ago, and it reported about some sort of trade route. There was nothing special or different about it, so he placed it apart on a small table and proceeded with the next letter. Not much older than the first one, the letter informed about slight orc activity around a travelling route from the Imladris to Lothlórien. Sighing again, she watched him place it over the first one and continued with the third. 

The range of the letters varied from reports on patrols, trade routes and orc activity, to friendly letters that merely shared the situations in other elven realms. She smiled when Elladan read a letter announcing the engagement of two Lorien elves, and inviting the Lord of Imladris to attend the wedding celebrations. 

A short and sweet letter caught her attention as she listened, making her smile with the happy news it bore as Elladan’s voice continued to dance around the room, perfectly translating the letters into the common tongue as he read with incredible ease. 

 

Elrond, 

I delight in the pleasure of writing to you upon the occasion of the birth of my youngest child. My wife and I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter that we named Almarëa. She has Alarya’s golden hair and gorgeous green eyes and does not resemble me in the slightest. I find it needless to say that Mirkwood rejoices with a new Princess, especially Legolas, who appears thrilled at not being the youngest any longer. Although born not a day ago, Almarëa has already captured my heart entirely. I extend my gratitude to you and Celebrian for the thoughtful present, and I am sure my daughter will not let go of her new silver rattle. 

My best wishes to you and Celebrian, as well as your handsome sons, and fortunately expecting a visit from your part shortly, 

Thranduil

 

She did not know if the letter made her smile the most because of its joyful news, or because it mentioned the twins and Legolas in it. Smiling, Elladan put it down on the table over the other letters and continued with the next one. It was a letter in the same elegant cursive writing than the one before, but considerably shorter. 

 

Elrond,

With pain in my heart I desperately ask you to offer your protection to my youngest daughter Almarëa. We both know she will be safer in Imladris. 

Thranduil

 

The short and urgent tone of the letter made her shiver, even though she did not understand its message. So much was left out as the letter had been reduced to it simplest form: two sentences, no detailed explanations. Yet something else seemed disturbing about it: the name Almarëa. Something rang inside her head every time her eyes read over the name, like a piece of a long forgotten fairytale. She looked at the date of the letter: slightly more than a year after the one announcing the birth.

The next letter was not written by the same expert hand, and the message made her heart sting. 

Lord Elrond

I write in the name of my King Thranduil, and I grieve with the tormenting news I bring you. The party of Mirkwood will not reach Imladris, as it was victim to an unexpected orc attack. The ambush took place near a village of men, a couple of day’s travel from Imladris. Among the dead, we mourn our Queen Alarya and her youngest daughter Almarëa. Not a single elf was left breathing after the brutal massacre. 

 

Her heart stopped at the news, burning with the agonizing news the letter bore. Yet, something else in the letter made her freeze, her body tensed as she felt a wave of cold wash over her. She looked at the date of the letter: her birth date. Or at least, what had been used as her birth date, the day Naeraviel had taken her home with her. 

“Elerrina?” 

Elladan’s low voice, calling her name made her look away from the yellowish paper held tightly in her hands. He was looking at her with cautious silver eyes, his expression solemn as he watched her carefully. His eyes were wide, shocked, and she noticed he was standing straight, and not comfortably thrown on the couch as before. 

Feeling fear and anxiousness take hold of her, she slowly walked to his side, her heart beating wildly inside her chest. He watched her closely, his expression as if she were made of glass and would break. Slowly, he started to read this letter out loud for her, her ears listening attentively to his words. 

She recognized the elegant scribble immediately form some of the letters she had seen Elladan read previously, even though once again she could not read its context and needed instead to concentrate on hearing it. The sentences was short, straight to the point.

Elrond 

My daughter, Almarëa lives. She has been taken in by a young woman who raises her in a small village not far from Imladris. She learns their customs, talks the common tongue and knows not of her identity. Part of me wishes she did, and yet deep inside of me I know it will be safest if she grows up among men, and let everyone continue to believe her dead, as I myself did until now. No one must know she lives, I will not even tell my sons. It pains me immensely to know my daughter lives and I cannot claim her back, but instead have to deny her existence. I know the village falls under the range of your powers and protection and I beg you with all my heart to please keep and eye on her. It is the only thing I have left to give her. She goes by the name Elerrina. 

I will be forever in your debt,

Thranduil


	25. Walls Tumble Down

The room seemed to shrink, suddenly appearing too small, too enclosed, trapping her. Air had been cut off from her lungs as she struggled to breathe, but it felt as if every breath she took lacked oxygen. She breathed heavily, her chest constricting and her lungs seeming to be incapable of expanding. She felt like she was drowning, gasping for air as a fish out of the water, but the pressure upon her chest only became stronger. 

The letter was clutched tightly in her hands, her fingers almost ripping the old yellowish parchment as they trembled. She was shaking. Something burned inside her, the feeling becoming stronger, as if her blood had been turned into fire inside her veins. The words in the elegant cursive writing danced in front of her eyes mixing in a wild hurricane, tormenting her, making her feel mad, insane. 

My daughter lives…Almarëa…offer your protection…deny her existence…goes by the name Elerrina… Her throat tightened and she instinctively reached a trembling hand to it, struggling to breathe. Her emotions were a wild mixture burning inside her veins, and she could not name them. Shock? Fear? Anger? She did not know but it burned. It burned with a fire she had never felt before. 

Distantly she could hear Elladan calling her name, but she could barely hear him. Everything seemed to have disappeared as she trembled, clenching her teeth together. A lie. She had been a lie. Her life had been a lie. She gasped for air once again, her hand now clutching the neckline of her dress, trying desperately to make it easier to breath. She felt everything crumble down. Nothing was true. She was not herself, and she certainly did not know who she was anymore. She felt as if her identity had been stolen from her. 

Elladan called again, or at least that was what she thought, his voice sounded so faint and distant to her ears, she did not even notice he was now kneeling in front of her. It was only when he reached for her hand, and his skin touched hers, that the fire inside of her was suddenly took complete hold of her, snapping her from her shocked trance. 

“Elerrina?” He asked in a worried, soft whisper. Elerrina. Was that her anymore? Had she ever been Elerrina? Was Elerrina even real? 

“Elerrina?” he gently grabbed her by the shoulders. 

“THAT IS NOT MY NAME!” She yelled as hard as her lungs allowed her, forcefully pushing his arms away from her. She did not even know which was her name any longer. 

He took a step back, eyeing her cautiously, concerned. The fire inside her snapped, burning far too much to control it any longer. She was angry, furious, and trembling in rage. Breathing was becoming harder each time as she gasped loudly now, struggling with the neckline of her dress. She needed air. Her vision blurred with angry tears that fell against her will. Elladan reached for her again, grabbing her by the shoulders. 

“Elerrina, breathe” 

“DO NOT CALL ME THAT! DO NOT TOUCHT ME!” she pushed his arms away again, as harshly and strongly as she could while she jumped to her feet. He reached for her again, this time holding her tighter while she pushed his arms away once more. 

“GO AWAY! LET GO OF ME!” She pushed him hard, but he held tighter, struggling against her, both of his arms wrapping tightly around her as he pressed her to him. She gasped for air again, a chocked sob escaping her every time she released her breath. She pushed him, using all her body to fight his hold, fighting with her elbows, back and arms, but could not escape. 

“try to breathe” 

“LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY!” She flung her shoulders forcefully against his chest, trying desperately to release herself from his strong grip, but to no avail. He was much stronger that her, and his arms wrapped tightly around her, pressing her against him until she could not move, her arms tight over her chest. She pushed again, hitting him with her elbows as hard as he could, searching for an escape, but managed nothing. 

She heard the heavy door being suddenly thrown open and steps running into the room upon hearing the commotion. Between her hysteric fight against Elladan’s hold, she caught a glimpse of Elrohir rushing to where they stood, a worried and shocked expression on his face. She kept hitting and pushing, but Elladan would not let her go. 

“LET GO OF ME! DO NOT TOUCH ME! I HATE YOU!” She did not know what else to scream. Elrohir was now in front of her, his silver eyes scanning her frantically, trying to figure out what was wrong. He exchanged a look with his twin before turning back to her, his arms touching her shoulders lightly as his grey eyes looked into hers, extremely concerned and shocked. 

“Elerrina!” 

“DO NOT CALL ME THAT!” Elrohir now grabbed her head gently in his hands, but let go quickly, not sure as to what was causing her to rage that way. His eyes found the paper wrinkled inside her hand and he quickly took it from her. 

“Breathe” whispered Elladan in her ear, but she could not obey, her lungs seemed unwilling to grasp any oxygen. 

“There is nothing to see in here” She saw Elrohir order sternly as he glanced to the open door, where a bunch of elves had already gathered upon hearing the commotion. The elves quickly obeyed Elrohir as they started to leave and continue with they chores, and she saw the younger twin quickly scan his eyes over the letter, reading it fast. 

More footsteps ran into the room, quickly rushing to Elrohir’s side and she felt her rage double at the sight the light blond hair and infinite blue eyes. He was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. 

“What in Ard…Elerrina!” He exclaimed, eyes scared, worried. He seemed shocked, not knowing what to do. 

“Calm down.” Elladan whispered in her ear again, only to receive another gasp for air from her part. She felt she was chocking, but that did not stop her from slamming her arms at him again, still struggling with his iron hold. 

“DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!” The written words still danced in front of her eyes. She felt her whole life suddenly disappear, suddenly all seemed staged, an illusion. The younger twin tensed, his eyes wide as he looked up from the piece of paper. He had read the letter.

“Go. Now.” She heard Elrohir say to Legolas, his tone stern, warning, and his powerful silver stare left no space for discussion. Legolas seemed taken aback by the sudden, unfriendly dismissal as his eyes widened in both surprise and confusion. However, he did not argue as he quickly nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone with the twins. 

She gasped again, the neck of dress chocking her, she felt she would asphyxiate. She was suffocating, trying desperately to breathe, and at the same time to break out from Elladan’s hold. He kept trying to calm her down, whispering her to breathe, as he pressed against his body in a tight embrace. But she kept pushing and struggling. 

“Elerrina! Calm down! Breathe!” Elrohir grabbed her by the shoulders with both hands, looking deeply into her eyes to stress his words with a powerful stare. She could not look away from his silver eyes, but did nothing to obey his orders. 

“Elerrina! You need to calm down! You are hurting Elladan!” Elrohir continued, protective of his brother.

That seemed to finally get her attention and she froze. She still felt she was suffocating, taking large intakes of breath as her lungs begged for oxygen, but she stopped struggling against Elladan’s hold. Elrohir was staring at her, silent, only waiting patiently as if afraid that any movement would cause her to burst out again. 

Now that she had stopped moving around she felt a little more air reach her lungs, and she finally breathed heavily. Slowly, Elladan’s strong arms wrapped around her began to feel better, the pressure calming her nerves and slowing her racing heart. Her previously despaired gasps for air turned into chocked sobs, and after a few seconds her whole body was shaking with sobs as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. 

She did not know why she was crying; she could not name the emotions that wracked her body at that moment. Was it out of shock? Was it out of ire at all of those who had known who she was and had never told her? Was it out of shame and guilt for loosing her control in such a way? Her knees gave out, incapable of supporting her any longer, and she would have sunk to the ground had not been for Elladan’s hold supporting her weight as she sunk slightly. 

He shifted his hold on her, sliding one arm behind her knees and easily lifting her in his arms as he carried her to the couch. She turned her face to his chest and found the left side of his tunic stained with fresh blood, and she felt extremely guilty as new tears of shame escaped her eyes. His face did not betray any pain or any discomfort as he used both of his arms with equal strength, yet she knew the wound had to be very painful. 

Elladan sat down on the couch with her still in his arms, placing her on his lap as he cradled her like a child. She felt like a child. Her sobs finally stopped and she was able to breathe normally, although still slightly shaking. She remained still for long minutes, staring into nothingness, her mind empty of any thought, her body void of emotion. 

Elrohir kneeled on the floor in front on her, his silver eyes large, like a grey stormy sea, as he watched in shock and concern. He said nothing, and yet she found his silence to be comforting. She heard the door open again and footsteps walking quickly to them, but did not turn to look, her body not willing to make the effort it took to turn her head. 

“What happened here? Legolas says something is amiss” She recognized the voice of the Balrog Slayer and could perfectly picture his soft blue eyes darting from Elladan to Elrohir, alert. 

Elerrina saw Elrohir hand him the letter without a word of explanation, followed by a long moment of silence. She looked up in time to see Glorfindel’s blue eyes widen as he turned to look at her, the expression on his face as if he was seeing a ghost. He did not say anything for a long moment, only staring at her, frozen. Then he turned to look at Elladan. 

“I will fetch Selemar so he can see to your shoulder” he said flatly in a low voice as he folded the letter in four and slipped it in his pocket. It became clear that he had nothing to say about the new revelation of Elerrina’s true identity, or if he did, he was not willing to share. Without another word, the golden haired warrior turned on his heels and strolled out of the room. 

All Elerrina could think of where the beautiful images from her dream. She saw little Legolas in the beautiful Lady’s arms; saw her long golden locks and bright green eyes. Her same golden hair; her same green eyes. The image felt so different now. It was her mother, her birth mother, and Legolas her brother. She saw the tormenting image of the same beautiful Lady sprawled dead on the ground: The night she had been adopted by Naervaiel; the night she had become Elerrina. 

Almarëa, she thought. Her name; her birth name. Such a beautiful name and yet it sounded so strange, like the name of a person she had never met, and Elerrina…even that name sounded strange now, like a mask, a veil to blind her eyes from the truth, an invented person. And more so, Lord Elrond knew all along. 

“Would you like some water?” Elladan whispered softly to her after she had completely calmed down, her breathing once again slow and even. His silver eyes looked concerned as he brushed a strand of her long golden hair out of her face. Elerrina nodded her head lightly, the movement almost unnoticed. She did not trust her voice to speak, in fact, she was not even sure she had a voice at that moment. 

“I will get it” said Elrohir before Elladan could move or say anything. 

Elerrina could see clear shock still written on the younger twin’s eyes as he rose to his feet and left the room at a hurried pace. He returned less than five minutes after, carrying a crystal glass filled with water in his hand. Gently, he handed it to her, making sure she had a complete hold of it before letting go. He then kneeled on the floor again, in front of her, as he exchanged a long look with his twin. Slowly, she sipped from the glass in her hands, the water making her feel ten times better as it slid down her throat, refreshing and soothing her nervous body. 

Glorfindel returned with the slightly shorter, blond healer at his heels, the latter carrying a bowl with some water and other supplies. Selemar threw Elladan a reproachful look as his honey-colored eyes roamed over the blood covered tunic. She felt guilty once more as she was once again reminded that it had been her hysteric struggling that had reopened the wound. 

 

“My Lord, I will need you to remove your tunic. You will need new stitches” said the blond healer softly as he set the bowl and healing supplies in a little table by the couch. 

“Come” She heard Glorfindel say softly as he extended a hand to her, his deep blue eyes tranquil and soothing, offering her a small smile. She accepted the hand and he helped her back to her feet while Elladan released his hold on her. She would have preferred to stay sitting on the Son of Elrond’s lap, feeling comfortable in his arms, but he needed to be tended. 

The golden haired warrior placed his arm lightly around her shoulders in a comforting touch. He then turned to Elrohir and handed him back the folded letter. 

“Legolas should read this also. The sooner, the better” The dark haired elf nodded silently while Glorfindel slowly started to lead her out of the study. She felt as if her mind had been temporarily shut down, her thoughts blank as her feet walked on their own. 

“Do you need something for the pain, my Lord?” she heard Selemar ask but did not turn to look. 

“Yes, he does” Came Elrohir’s answer just as she and Glorfindel reached the door and exited the elegant study, closing it behind them. Elerrina felt another wave of guilt and shame at the younger twin’s words. She knew Elladan’s face would not betray any pain, but also knew that Elrohir could see and feel behind his composed mask. She knew Elrohir could tell the exact amount of pain Elladan was in. 

Glorfindel led her to the kitchens where she could see some elves working on preparing the next meal. He gently guided her to a small table in a corner and onto a stool, getting a plate with some bread, cheese and strawberries before sitting in front of her. 

“Eat something” he said fatherly with a faint smile as he placed the plate in front of her. “You look pale, and just had a great shock and a panic attack. Some food will make you feel better” 

She tried to smile in thanks, but doubted that her lips had managed to curve up even slightly. Silently she picked on the food, not really hungry, but nonetheless feeling somehow better. Glorfindel remained silent in front of her, suddenly looking approachable and not like the glorified mighty warrior she knew he was. 

“My Lord?” she said, finally feeling able to speak again. 

“Yes?” he said soflty, his kind blue eyes looking at her, patiently waiting for her to speak. She gathered the courage she needed to speak her next question. 

“Did you know?” he offered her a sad smile and sighed before answering her question. 

“No” He said simply, but honestly as his eyes looked at her again, almost searching to see if she was fine. She turned to look down at her plate, unsure of what she was feeling. 

“What will happen now?” she asked faintly, not sure she wanted to hear an answer. 

“I do not know” he answered gently, truthfully. 

“Am I expected to be Almarëa? I am not sure I know her, she feels like a different person. I do not want to be a different person, and I no longer know myself.” Her voice was barely audible, hinted with uncertainty as she looked at the golden haired warrior’s soft blue eyes, searching for some answer or reassurance. 

Glorfindel placed his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand, as he narrowed his eyes in a fake gesture of deep thought. 

“What if…” he started, his eyes looking past her and into the distance. “What if the twins were accidentally switched at birth, and nobody noticed. What if Elladan is really Elrohir, and was not born first, but second, and no one knows. Would that make you like Elrohir instead because he was originally Elladan before the switch? Elladan might have a different name, and not be the firstborn any longer, but would that make him any different than he is? Would that make him a different person?”

“No” she answered softly, her lips curving up in a small smile, understanding his hypothetic scene. 

“I think so too” said the Balrog Slayer with a kind, wide smile. “He would still be himself, regardless of a name. As for you, you will forever be you, one fëa in one body, only that now you know the truth of who you really are. Whether you choose to be named Elerrina or Almarëa does not change anything. True that the revelations makes you a princess, and you now have a father and siblings, but I do not believe that you are a different person.” 

She stared into his soft blue eyes, feeling incredibly better than she did before, incredibly grateful for his words of reassurance. 

“Besides, you are not the only one who is in for a shock today” He chuckled softly and her smile broadened as she thought of Legolas. She liked the blond elven Prince, and suddenly, accepting that she was Almarëa did not seem bad at all. It would take some time, but she knew that knowing her true inheritance was way better than not knowing. Still there were many things left out in the letters, many other truths she wanted to know. 

“My Lord? Do you know why was I being brought here to Imladris in the first place? Why did I need protection?” She was not sure if Glorfindel knew the answers, or if he would be willing to share them with her, but she had to try.

The golden haired warrior turned around to check if there was anyone near them, but the kitchens were empty now, the elves gone to do some other chores before the meal needed to be served. He sighed and stared at her, his expression once again serious, but tranquil, as he spoke in a very low, barely audible tone. 

“Lord Elrond was going to raise you as one of his own, that was the accord. As to why, I do not entirely know. All that I will tell you is that both Elrond and Thranduil probably knew not the complete extent of your powers, and I am still not sure they do. I myself do not. All I dare say is that Elrond was not expecting this connection you share with the ring.”

His eyes glanced quickly at the thin chain around her neck before he continued.

“You have to be very careful, Elerrina. I believe, as I am sure Elrond did, that hiding you was as important as hiding Vilya. I do not know how the orcs acquired knowledge about the ring, nor do I know how they figured Elrond was the master of one of them. There is more than one ring like this one you carry, and I have reasons to doubt that this familiarity you share with Vilya is unique to it. There exists the possibility that you share a connection with all the rings and, if that is the case, you could be used to track them, find them. And trying to find them, they are”


	26. Thoughts on the Forgotten

Elerrina sat silently at the edge of her own bed, staring into nothingness. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon painting the sky a bright shade of pink behind the golden trees. Birds chirped at the balcony and outside her window, but apart from that, the valley was quiet. No song could be heard, no elflings running around the gardens. It seemed that even Vilya, securely kept around her neck, had shut down after the disappearance of the Lord of Imladris, as it merely glowed dimly without even the slightest whisper. 

Glorfindel had escorted her to her own chambers after she had eaten a little. Faelilla had arrived shortly after, and had combed patiently through her hair once she had washed and changed into a clean dress. Part of her had hopped that the water could wash away all of her feelings, but such hope did not come true. Now, after both elves had retired, she was left alone to her thoughts and torments, to the unceasing storm of her own mind as the dying Sun marked an end to the life she had known. 

She remembered her small house where she had grown up, her little plain room where Naeraviel had read bedtime stories to her. She remembered the village, running around with the other children, almost believing she was one of them. It felt different to remember her life after she knew the story behind how she came to live there. She had never been a lost, orphaned elf as she had always thought. 

 

“Mommy, why are my ears pointy?” She asked curiously as she climbed into her mother’s lap, her little hands reaching to her ears. She could have passed for any four-year-old child, except for the natural glow of her pale skin, and the pointed shape of her ears hidden under her loose, golden hair. It was already dark outside, and a single candle lamp lighted the room, which was decorated plainly. 

Naeraviel placed down the blanket she had been knitting, and wrapped her arms around Elerrina who bounced energetically on her lap, her hands stretching up to grab her mother’s round ears. 

“Because you are an elf, my child. You know that.” she replied with an amused laugh as she lowered her head so the little elfling could reach her ears. Elerrina’s little mouth opened in a big oh as understanding flashed her large green eyes. 

“Aaaaah, so that is why!” she exclaimed, opening her little arms to her sides, and earning another amused laugh from Naeraviel. 

“But Mommy, why am I an elf? Are you an elf? Your ears are not pointy. Do all elves have pointy ears?” She tilted her head to the side in confusion, as her large eyes started into the woman’s dark brown ones, feeling warm and cozy in her arms. 

“No, Elerrina, I am not an elf. You also knew that already. And yes, all elves have pointed ears, just as all men have rounded ones.” Naeraviel answered with a wide smile and Elerrina opened her mouth once again, ready to fire a bunch of new questions. 

“Mommy, you told me I had an elf mommy, but she had to leave. Is she coming back? Is she my mommy? You are my mommy. Can I have two mommies?” Her large, green eyes shone with confusion at the innocent questions, too young to really comprehend the reality of things. 

“No, my child, she is not coming back.” Was all the woman said as her fingers brushed through Elerrina’s messy golden hair, tying it all in a single braid behind her back. The little elfling remained silent for a moment, allowing her mother to neatly braid her hair. 

“Mommy?” she asked in low voice now, lifting her head to look at Naeraviel’s loving brown eyes. 

“Yes, my Elerrina?” 

“Will you forever be my mommy? Or will you also have to go like my first mommy?” Naeraviel smiled broadly at her and Elerrina felt content and safe under the kind light of her smile. 

“I will be your mommy as long as you want me to” Elerrina smiled back, showing her tiny white teeth as her little arms wrapped securely around the woman’s neck. 

“Then, I want you to be my mommy forever.”

She felt a wave of guilt and shame as she remembered the beautiful golden haired Lady of her dreams. She had not recognized her own mother as she carried the squealing Legolas in her arms. She felt she had betrayed her by loving Naeraviel instead, by calling the woman her mother, and yet that is what the young woman had been to her, her mother, and she had loved her dearly. 

She now wondered if Naeraviel had ever known about her true inheritance, if she had ever known that her father and family still lived. How much about the little elf she had raised had she really known? Another memory crossed her mind, this time one she had almost completely forgotten. 

 

The sky was dark outside, the pale moonlight filtering lightly through the small window located on the little house’s main room. She sat patiently on a wooden chair by the square table, while Naeraviel cooked dinner only a few feet away. Her hands turning the large pages of a beautifully illustrated book her mother had given her for her birthday that year. She was a little older now, easily mistaken for a seven or eight-year-old child, as her clothes were all in the style of men and her long golden hair fell loosely over her back, tousled. 

Outside, the village was quiet, all the children already in their homes enjoying a meal with their families, and all the men who left to hunt during the day had already returned. It was the most tranquil hour of the day, and Elerrina enjoyed it dearly as she spent some time in the welcoming warmth of the little house with her mother. 

A knock on the plain wooden door made her little head look up form her book. Rarely would they receive visitors at this hour of the day. She slid out of her chair, placing the book on the table, which was still considerably tall compared to her short height, as Naeraviel cleaned her hands on a kitchen towel before turning to the door. 

“Stay there” Naeraviel told her as she went to get the door. Elerrina simply nodded, her eyes following her mother while she rested her tiny hand upon the book placed on the table that reached almost to her shoulders. 

She watched attentively as the woman opened the door to their visitor. Naeraviel took a couple of steps back as her eyes widened in surprise, she seemed to recognize whoever was at the door, but Elerrina could not see the stranger yet. She remained frozen, watching as her mother stepped back to allow the visitor inside the humble house. 

A tall figure stepped into the room, dressed in a long, dark velvet cloak with a hood that hid his face in darkness. Involuntary she took a step back as she stared intently at the newcomer. She could not see any feature underneath the dark hood, but he did not look like any man she had seen in her village before. He was taller than any man, and his posture was different, regal. The bottom of his cloak was embroidered in silver threat, tracing patters she had never seen or imagined before.

His head turned in her direction as he entered the piece, but his face remained in darkness. She could feel his eyes looking intently at her although she could not see them. Elerrina felt sudden fear at the stranger, but did not back away as his hidden eyes stared at her. She felt incredibly tiny at the sight of the tall man. 

Naeraviel quickly closed the door after the strange man and turned to face her with a serious but kind expression on her face. 

“Elerrina, go upstairs. I will go read you a story in a while” She said in a gentle, sweet voice that indicated she was not wanted in the room. 

Elerrina nodded silently, slowly grabbing her book with both hands and turning to leave. She felt the stranger’s eyes follow her as she walked to the narrow staircase. She risked one last look at the tall, cloaked figure as she started to climb, and swore she had seen a glint of silver flash underneath the dark hood... 

Now, she would have recognized such tall body build and regal posture anywhere, as well for the beautiful style of the cloak and its silver embroidery. The visitor had been an elf, and she held no doubt. So she had indeed seen an elf in her childhood, only that she never knew. How could have she known? His face was never visible to her, not even for a tiny second, much less his ears. Now the memory made more sense: the elf had known who she was, but then, had Naeraviel known? Was she ever told? How she wished she could have seen the stranger’s face…

A soft knock on the door made her wake up from her trance of memories. She did not answer, and heard the newcomer turn the doorknob and push the door open. She turned her head to gaze at the new elf in the room, and her green eyes met a beautiful pair of light blue ones that seemed to extend infinitely, like large clear oceans. 

The elven Prince closed the door gently behind him and stood there for a couple of seconds, his body slightly tensed as his eyes stared at her. She felt nervous, part of her scared and part of her content as she gazed at the light blond elf; the brother she had not known she had. 

“Elrohir showed me the letter” he said flatly, his voice low, barely audible, and she could almost feel the tension and shock emanating from his body. 

She turned her head away from him and returned to staring blankly to the front, not knowing what to answer to such statement. For a moment she wondered about his reaction to the news, about how many times had he doubted before deciding to knock on her door and confront her. Taking a breath she returned her eyes to meet his. 

His large eyes held a strange mixture of uncertainty, surprise, happiness, sadness, nervousness and love as he looked at her for a long moment, but what called her attention was the strong recognition inside his infinite blue orbs. He offered her a faint smile, he seemed as unsure of how to act as her, making her feel slightly less nervous. He was not only a friend anymore: they were siblings. 

Silently he walked to the bed, sitting next to her on the edge of the pale lavender covers, guarding a little distance from her. She turned her head to the front again, as did he, and she guessed the news were as hard to him as they were to her. Both of them had been lied into believing an altered truth. Silence felt better than words, and she understood there was not really much to say, as both knew the truth now. They were siblings by blood, but truly they did not know each other as such. 

“I believed you were dead” he said in a soft, honest tone but did not turn to look at her. She did not say a word and he took a deep breath before continuing. “I grew up believing you had died that night. I remember crying when I was told; I was but a small elfling. I missed you. We all missed you.” 

He chuckled sourly as he turned to look at her and she returned the stare, not knowing what to say. His eyes were gentle, light blue looking at her in a way he never had before, and she felt comfortable in his infinite eyes, welcome. 

“I remember waving goodbye as you and my mother…our mother, left with a large party on your way here, to Imladris. Adar had said you would stay there for a while, be educated along with Arwen. I never knew the reasons behind such decision, but never questioned. That was the last time I saw you; until now” 

She felt somewhat better hearing all of this; it made everything seem more real. It somehow helped to hear him speaking about her, to be told that she had had a life as Almarëa, and a witness to tell her about it. He offered her another faint smile, and his eyes looked at her for a moment before continuing. 

“’I do not expect you to remember anything, you were too young, had only started to say your first words and take your first steps. I do remember you though, I remember having a sister and wanting to be a good older brother. I understand that it all feels different to you, that suddenly you have relatives you do not necessarily remember, and do not hold any bond with. I know I do not completely know you, and you are no longer the little baby I remember, but I would love to be your brother again, if you would let me try.” 

His eyes looked at her deeply, welcoming her into endless oceans of pale blue. She felt the weight of his words, the sincerity of his soft voice, and saw the little elfling from her dreams, squealing in joy by the stream. Part of her wished she had grown up along with the joyful elfling, that she had conserved her bond with this elf that was her brother by blood, but life never allowed that to happen. 

Smiling softly at him, she leaned closer and rested her head lightly on his shoulder, silently accepting his offer. Legolas did not say anything, but he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her arm soothingly. He had seemed so familiar to her, and now she understood why. She had never completely forgotten him, and somehow knew that part of him still was the little elfling she remembered, that their bond had not entirely broken. 

“I do remember you, although I did not know why. I have seen you in my dreams, as a small elfling. It is always the same scene, by a tiny stream in a dense forest. You looked incredibly familiar when I first met you here. Perhaps part of myself still remembers you as a brother, although it feels like a long forgotten dream. I do not know how to be a sister, as I never truly was one. I grew up as an only child, and without a father, but I would deeply like to be your sister again, although I will need to learn.” 

“We both will need to learn.” He smiled at her now, a true, joyful smile, as his eyes shone with pure content. She smiled back, feeling accepted, relieved to finally know the family in which she belonged, and that she was welcomed. 

Suddenly he chuckled and shook his head as he muttered under his breath “And Elladan felt jealous of me” 

“Did he really?” She asked, chuckling also as she remembered the elder twin’s reaction on the breakfast table when she had first met Legolas. 

“Yes” he said between chuckles, the sound as sweet as the one produced by the elfling in her dreams, floating melodically to her ears. “I could not help but stare at you. You also looked very familiar, and more so, you looked exactly like I remember my mother looking. It was driving me insane. He was not very happy about it. I could feel his eyes watching me like a hawk watching its prey for the rest of the day. He would not even let me get close to you.” 

She laughed lightly, a true cheerful laugh, and he joined in the laughter. She wished she had seen Elladan at that moment. He must feel very relieved now that the truth about her identity was out. 

The air felt lighter, as if an iced barrier between her and the blond elven Prince had suddenly lifted. It would take long steps from their part to create a bond between them, but she already felt comfortable and confident in his presence, part of her already accepting him as her long lost brother. 

“Will you tell me everything you remember? I would very much like to know about the life I once had” She asked hopefully and he grinned widely at her. 

“Of course. I will tell you everything you want to know.” She once again felt welcomed in the infinite stare of his blue eyes. 

Suddenly, she was no longer in her elegant bedchamber. Her vision turned black and all senses seemed to abandon her for a moment. Vilya whispered loudly, the sound ringing in her ears like shouts as an image started to appear in front of her eyes. She saw the sky, the view as if she were lying on her back, her eyes looking up at the vast expansion of darkening blue as night started to fall after the departed Sun. 

The ring screeched again, ringing loudly inside her head and ears, speaking in a strange tongue. Her vision shifted to the left side, and she as able to see the ground next to the darkening sky. The landscape was arid, mainly dark rocks and hard ground. The large, black stones seemed to grow endlessly from the ground, creating some caves every now and then. Creatures moved around the dry landscape, snarling at each other or randomly getting into fights. Orcs. 

She felt shivers run down her spine at the sight of the terrifying creatures, horror taking possession of her. Vilya’s screeches seemed to intensify in her ears, a high-pitched cry that rang constantly inside her head, making it harder to concentrate on the images. 

Her vision now rolled to her right side, and she saw the large rocks extending taller towards the sky, the farther they were the taller they got, until they formed what looked like a peak. A mountain. She was lying on her back, near the top of a mountain. 

Suddenly a grotesque face with grey, sick skin appeared in her line of vision from above, the creature standing next to where she was lying. She would have screamed had it not been for the fact that she was not really lying on the ground, but merely witnessing the scene. 

“’Es awake!” the creature orc exclaimed in a blood curling snarl, and not even a second after, another disgusting face appeared to look down at her. She heard metal boots running in her direction upon the rocky ground, as more nasty faces started to pop in front of her. 

“’Ello” said the first face, the sound making her skin crawl with its twisted tone of sarcastic kindness as the orc’s yellow eyes seemed to openly mock her. 

Then Vilya cried once more, this time louder than ever and everything turned black, the faces and rocky landscape disappearing from her view. Suddenly, the presence she had felt inside her mind was gone, and her mind was once again only to herself as she returned to her tranquil bedchamber, Legolas still sitting next to her…


	27. Chapter 27

Elerrina took a sharp intake of breath as her vision returned to normal. Her mind was thinking way too fast for her to get a concrete hold of her thoughts. Lord Elrond’s presence was now completely gone from her mind, and yet she could almost still see the nasty faces hovering over her, their disgusting yellow eyes, the large, black rocks that conformed the landscape, which looked even darker as the twilights stretched into night. 

She did not know what had happened, what exactly she had just witnessed, but was only sure of one thing: It had not been a vision; it had been real, and the same darkening blue that painted the sky just outside the window of her chamber proved it. She had been into the Elf-Lord’s mind, had seen through his very own eyes. 

“Elerrina?” Legolas’ voice made remember his presence in the room as he grabbed her by the shoulder. She turned to face him immediately and could see the reflection of her own wide, scared eyes inside his now worried blue ones. Out of impulsiveness, Elerrina jumped to her feet, her body felt accelerated, as if she needed to act fast. 

“What is it? What is wrong? What happened?” Legolas jumped to his feet after her, his voice also accelerated, speaking fast as his eyes looked at her frantically, alert. 

“I…I…the orcs…I saw…It…” She opened her mouth to tell him, but her mind was working faster than she could speak, the words all getting mixed before they left her mouth. His eyes kept looking at her intently, worried as he desperately tried to understand what it was that she was trying to say. 

“Lord Elrond!” She finally managed to say, that being the only coherent thought she could muster to get his attention. The name made his eyes widen as if somehow he had understood what she tried to say, or at least the urgency of it. 

“He what? What about him?” He had both of his hands on her shoulders now, and for a moment she did not really know which of the two seemed more restless. 

“I saw him” She answered quickly, feeling as if the fastest she spoke, the fastest they could do something about it. He seemed to be thinking the same thing for he bombarded her with more questions not even a second after. 

“You saw him? What do you mean you saw him? What are you talking about? Do you now where he is?” 

“I did not see him…I saw…..Where are the twins? And Lord Glorfindel?” She changed the direction of her words, finding that explanations where a waste of time now. She needed to tell the twins and Glorfindel, they would be able to do something. 

Legolas did not argue, but instead answered her questions immediately, not asking for explanations. She believed that the urgency in her voice had been enough for him to understand the importance of the matter at hand. 

“The twins are in Elrohir’s bedroom. I will find Glorfindel and meet you there”

She did not say anything else, did not even wait for him to move before she hurried out of the room. Her feet guided her in long strands among the labyrinth of arched hallways, racing through the very familiar route towards the twin’s chambers. 

Without bothering to knock, Elerrina quickly opened the fine wooden door that lead directly to the younger twin’s bedchamber. She froze at the doorway as two identical figures sitting on the large bed suddenly turned to look at her. 

Two equal pairs of silver eyes studied her for a moment, their stares cautious, part surprised and confused for her sudden appearance, and part as if trying to predict her reaction. She had not seen either of the handsome sons of Elrond since her panic attack earlier that day, and judging by the look on their faces they were calculating whether or not she would burst out again. 

Her eyes automatically travelled to Elladan, who sat to his twin’s left, and felt her insides fill with the peacefulness and wholeness his sole presence gave her. His liquid silver irises were glued to hers, concerned, as he sat still, and she noticed that his right hand gripped his left arm just right below the shoulder, holding it still at his side. He stood up at the sight of her, quickly sensing her restlessness. 

“Rina?” He asked in a doubtful voice as he closed the distance between them in long steps, Elrohir watching carefully. She centered her gaze on Elladan’s eyes, mentally shaking all of her nervousness and anxiety before she spoke. 

“I saw your father” she breathed in almost a whisper, but loud enough for Elrohir to hear her words. 

Elladan’s eyes widened, as he immediately understood that she had experienced a vision. His deep silver eyes stared into hers intently, urging her to explain, and she heard Elrohir quickly walk to stand by his twin’s side but she did not turn to look at him. She did not dare to break her gaze from Elladan’s endless eyes, afraid that she might loose her trail of thought if she did. 

“I saw Lord Elrond” she repeated, her voice sounding way steadier than she had expected. “Well, I did not really see him. I saw what he saw, as if I was looking through his eyes”

“Did you see where he was? Was he injured?” Elladan asked her softly, his eyes communicating the urgency that was absent in his tone.

She heard two other elves enter the room through the open door behind her, and out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Elrohir lift his eyes to meet the unannounced newcomers. She did not need to turn to know that it was Legolas with Glorfindel, and instead swallowed once before answering the elf that was the center of her whole attention. 

“I do not know. I did see where he was, that is probably about all I saw: the landscape around him. Although I do not know where it was, I cannot recognize it. There were rocks and very few trees. It looked like a mountain, near to the peak” She wished she could have answered that the Elf-Lord was unharmed, but she did not know it. She had only seen what Elrond had wanted her to see. 

“Your Adar cannot be badly injured if he was able to pull her into his mind.” She heard the powerful voice of the golden haired warrior reassuring the distressed sons of his Lord. 

Elerrina did not know how much of what she had said, Glorfindel had heard, but the Balrog Slayer had already been informed of her latest vision. Elladan did not take his eyes from hers as he silently nodded to the golden haired warrior’s words, and she let herself drown in the pools of liquid silver she loved so dearly. 

“A mountain and rocks?” out of the corner of her eyes she saw Elrohir addressing the golden haired warrior, his eyes questioning with a glint that implied he had an idea of where the Elf-Lord was. 

“Do you know the place?” She asked, her eyes moving to Elrohir for the first time.

“It is possible.” Answered Glorfindel, and she turned her head to face the glorious golden haired elf. “Elerrina, can you draw what you saw?” Glorfindel’s deep blue eyes looked at her intently as she nodded her head, not able to form any words. 

Elrohir quickly moved around the room, grabbing a piece of parchment from one of the drawers in the small desk, a quill and ink, and placing the items on top of the desk’s polished surface. She rapidly walked towards the desk, Elladan and the others moving along with her, and took the quill in her right hand. 

She let her hand guide the quill across the parchment in quick strokes, accurately tracing the lines of the image that was still fresh inside her mind. She could feel the eyes of the other elves in the room attentively observing the paper, Elladan from over her right shoulder, Glorfindel her left and Elrohir and Legolas from the sides of the desk. 

“What is it? Is that a rock? Is that a tree? What is sky and what is ground?” Elrohir asked before she could complete any figure, pointing at places in the paper in which her hand had not even started to draw. 

“Elrohir! Let her finish!” She heard Glorfindel exclaim but did not turn to look as she concentrated on quickly sketching the image that floated inside her mind. She was surprised of how much she remembered. The younger twin did not reply, but remained quiet as he watched her continue to trace lines across the blank paper. 

When the drawing became understandable, Elrohir suddenly snatched the paper from her, turning it with his fingers over the desk so that it faced him, silver eyes attentively dancing over her drawn lines. Elerrina sighed as the quill left a long line on her drawing from where Elrohir had, without warning, moved the parchment from her, but did not say anything as she placed the quill down and observed the younger twin. 

Elrohir lifted his eyes to meet Elladan’s, and she watched them exchange a look in silence before the younger twin’s eyes dater to Glorfindel. The Balrog Slayer’s eyes had been focused on the parchment, but after a second, his soft blue eyes turned up to meet Elrohir as he silently nodded to the younger twin’s questioning stare. The exchange of words had been silent, but she needed no words to understand that Glorfindel and the twins knew the place that was now neatly drawn over the piece of paper. 

“How soon can we depart?” Asked Elladan as his silver eyes turned to question the golden haired warrior. 

She felt her chest tighten and her heart sank to the ground, but she did not show it, as she remained frozen looking at the exchange among the three elves. She did not want to think that the twins would leave to go after their father. She knew this would be the case, Elladan had told her that they would go once they had found where to go. And now they had. She did not want Elladan to go, and she knew she was being selfish, but she just did not want to be far from him. 

“Two hours at least. We can gain some distance if we travel a couple of hours into the night before we need to stop for rest. I will need to gather the patrols and every elf who wishes to come.” Answered Glorfindel and her heart constricted as the golden haired elf set a time for departure. 

“Elrohir, go find Erestor and inform him of everything. He is to run the valley in our absence.” Continued the Balrog Slayer as he turned on his heels and started to make his way to the door. 

“And I suggest the four of you eat some dinner and rest for some minutes. You will need it. I want to see you ready in two hours, you too, Elerrina. You are also coming with us.” She looked up, surprised at the mention of her name, only to find the other three pairs of eyes having the same reaction as her.

“She is not coming” Snapped Elladan, his silver eyes fiercely glaring at the golden haired warrior, like cold steel daggers. 

“Yes, she is.” Replied Glorfindel in a calmed voice, completely unaffected by the elder twin’s sudden hostility. “She is our map, and our only way to know if the orcs move. She has to come. I would not take her if it were not absolutely necessary.” 

Without waiting for an answer, Glorfindel exited the piece, Elrohir following closely behind in search of Lord’s Elrond’s advisor. Elerrina did not know what to say, what to think. She remained still, staring at the open door through which the two elves had just disappeared, not wanting to meet Elladan’s gaze. 

She heard Legolas sigh and turned to meet his infinite blue eyes as he offered her a small, reassuring smile. Then, without a word, he also exited the room, leaving her alone with Elladan inside his twin’s elegant bedchamber. 

For the first time in the evening, Elerrina let her eyes explore the room around her. She had never before been inside Elrohir’s bedchamber, and smiled on the inside at the very familiar arrangement of the room. The chamber was decorated in pale gold, exactly the same as Elladan’s chamber, with matching furniture arranged in the same way. The rooms were mirror images, what was placed at the right in Elladan’s room, was at the left in Elrohir’s. 

She felt Elladan wrap his good arm around her waist and she turned around to face him, green eyes searching for his endless, sparkling silver ones. She knew he was not happy about her joining them in the rescue party, but he did not argue against Glorfindel’s clear reasoning. Instead, he let go of her waist and placed his fingers over the parchment on the desk and rotated it until it was facing him, his eyes throwing another glance at her sketch. 

“You are not allowed to look through my drawings ever again.” He said throwing her his famous mischievous smile as he suddenly lifted the heavy, solemn aura the room had acquired. Elerrina knew that he was trying to cheer her up as much as he was trying to do so to himself. 

She laughed out loud at his words as she remembered the very clumsy lines of his drawings. Her drawing, on the other hand, was very accurate. She could draw, it was one of the things she had enjoyed doing while growing up, but Elladan was a different story. 

She saw his smile grow into a wide grin at the sound of her laughter and he leant down and pressed his lips to hers, silencing her with a kiss. She felt all of her burdens, her fears, her insecurities be suddenly lifted from her body and everything fell into place as she kissed him in return. After they parted, he pressed his forehead to hers, his silver eyes swallowing her in his piercing stare that made her heart race. 

“Let us get out of here for a while. Take a walk with me” He whispered softly as he entwined his fingers with hers. She could have never denied his request, say no to his sweet, musical voice, and she simply smiled in return, silently accepting his proposal. She herself wanted to get away for a moment, to forget the visions, the letters, the capture, and she knew that he also needed a distraction from his worried mind. 

She let the son of Elrond lead her out of the room and through the house, silently pacing through long corridors and stairwells until they exited the brightly lighted house and started marching towards the peaceful moonlit gardens. She relaxed in the fresh air, in the reassuring purity of the smell of green grass and blooming flowers, which glowed palely under the light of the stars. 

“How are you? Did you speak with Legolas about it?” He asked in a low voice as they slowly paced through the peaceful gardens, away from the crowded, bright house. She knew exactly what he was referring to, and let her gaze travel to the ground for a moment, not sure of what to answer. 

“It is fine. We do not have to speak about it if you do not want to” He added at her lack of response. She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. She would answer him; she knew he was concerned of how she had taken the news. 

“I am sorry I yelled at you.” She said, but he waved off her apologies with a hand and she continued. “I will be fine. I guess it only feels strange now. I did speak with Legolas, and turns out he does remember me.” She paused to look into his eyes as he listened to her, her feet walking instinctively now, going wherever he led her. 

The distant lights of the house had fallen behind, and Elerrina smiled in content as she caught sight of the beautiful gazebo placed next to the delicate, arched bridge. He had been leading her to their garden, where he had first kissed her, where she had discovered what he rally meant to her. 

“I did not know you had been so jealous of him.” She added, throwing him a teasing smile, deeply enjoying the look on his face as both of his dark eyebrows shot up to the sky. 

He sat on the bench under the gorgeous gazebo, the pale moonlight falling lightly over his dark hair, making his silver eyes sparkle like stars at the dim light. She sat next to him, closer than she had the previous night they had been in this same garden. 

“Who says I was jealous?” he argued as he narrowed his eyes, leaning in closer to her, his face only inches away, but she did not step back, nor did she break his piercing, playful stare. 

“Oh, so then you simply did not like Legolas near me because….?” She pressed, leaning even closer. She knew his games and she would not loose this one. He was tempting her, but she would not be the one to fall first. 

“And I suppose that you were not jealous of the ladies who were staring at me at the feast?” He shortened the distance even more, it that was possible, his warm breath falling on her face. Her victorious smile fell instantly at his words as she remembered the gossiping ladies who simply could not keep their eyes from the handsome son of Elrond. 

“I was not” She said a little too fast, knowing that her tone had indicated the contrary of her words. He grinned widely in victory, his eyes sparkling with carefreeness and mischievousness. 

“Well, in that case, I will save a dance for them on the next feast now that I know you do not have a problem with that.” He whispered in barely audible voice, his lips brushing hers slightly, not giving in in a kiss. He had won, and he knew it. She could no longer use the blond Prince against him, for Legolas was now her brother. 

“You will do no such thing” she whispered back, aware that she had lost. She could not hold it any longer and closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to his as he reached his hand to the side of her face. 

“And so much time wasted on pointing out just how much you hated me” he teased her after the kiss had ended. 

Elerrina chuckled at his words. She loved him, every single aspect of him. His pale skin framed by long, dark hair; his silver eyes that sparkled with mischievousness and carefreeness, mocking the world around him, and at the same time could burn with a strength and power she had thought impossible; his playful grin and his sweet concerned tone. 

“I could have never imagined that after how much I hated you, I would be sitting here this night thinking only of how much I lo…” She stopped as she realized the words that were coming out of her mouth. She felt so comfortable around him that she would say anything that was on her mind, without any kind of filter. The truth simple slipped out when she was in his presence. 

“How much I like you” she corrected herself, she was not going to tell him her real feelings yet. However, her sudden change of words had not passed unnoticed by him and she saw him grin broadly as his eyes sparkled with a glint of delight. 

“What were you going to say?” He asked in a low voice, his eyes piercing hers, sparkling. She felt her heart race as he pressed her, but she would not say it, not yet. 

“How much I like you. I said it” she answered. She did not know why, but the real words scared her. It scared to admit her feelings to him. However, his grin only grew wider, making her suddenly feel her anger start to rise at his delighted face. He knew exactly how she felt; she had slipped. 

“No, you were not going to say that” he pressed her. She could feel his silver eyes burning into hers with fiery passion, pushing her into saying those words out loud. She felt her heart race, out of nervousness or pressure, she did not know, but his insistence on hearing her admit her feelings made her anger rise even more. 

“I was going to say that” she snapped, her eyes glaring into his, but his smirk did not faltered. 

“No. Say it, Rina. Say what you were really going to say” he pressed, moving closer to her. Her heart raced faster, and she felt her anger boil inside her veins. He knew he could make her rage, make her react at his will and that sole thought angered her more. 

“I said it. I like you. I said it.” She said as she jumped to her feet, her eyes throwing cold daggers into his sparkling, playful ones. He stoop up in front of her, rising taller than her, and took a step closer to her, wrapping his good arm around her waist and resting in on her low back, pulling her close to him. 

“That was not it. You said how much I llllllo….a “v” comes next, perhaps” he whispered in her ear, stretching his “l”s as he spoke. His eyes burned on hers, his grin reflected in his silver irises. She was breathing heavily, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest as shivers ran down her spine. 

“I was not going to say anything” she snapped sharply as she leant back away from him, her anger exploding inside of her. He had complete control of her emotions. 

“Yes you were. Say it” He leaned closer again; pressing her to say the three words he wanted to hear. Finally she could no longer hold her anger; why was he pressing her like that? He already knew what she had been about to say! 

“Fine! I love you! I was going to say how much I love you! Are you happy now?!” she yelled as she threw her hands in the air, tired of his insistence, her eyes glaring into his. 

To her surprise he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers in a passionate, fiery kiss, knocking her mind out of every thought. After realizing what as happening she kissed him back, deepening the kiss as his arm around her waist pressed her closer to his body, her own hand reaching up to his neck and tangling in his dark strands of hair. 

Nothing mattered now. Her previous anger seemed pointless now, and the fear she had felt completely vanished as she lost herself in the deep kiss. She had said it. The words had finally left her mouth, and she did not want to take them back ever. 

He broke the kiss after a long moment, letting her breathe once again as his eyes stared deeply into hers, passionate, burning with unspoken emotions. She was speechless, stunned as he leaned in once more, his lips brushing slightly over her left ear as he whispered slowly, in a loving, barely audible voice:

“I love you too”


	28. Chapter 28

The house seemed to be in a rush as Elerrina absently made her way through the elegant corridors. Elves ran past her every couple of minutes, armed with swords and bows, their long cloaks swirling behind them as they all ran down the corridors and headed out to the main courtyard. She could hear the elves gathering outside the large windows as she made her way up the stairwell, could hear some of them giving orders, horses moving around, but did not turn to look. 

She felt absent, detached, as she moved in the opposite direction of the other elves. They would depart in less than half an hour, but it did not feel real to her. Her mind felt as if it had bitterly been awakened from a beautiful dream and refused to accept the reality in which it was now forced to function. 

Elladan had escorted her back to her chamber some minutes ago, as he went to change and get ready, but she simply could not stay there. Her nerves had been driving her insane inside the confined space of the empty room. Even Vilya seemed impatient as it glowed dully and whispered incessantly. 

She rounded a corner and found the beautiful wooden door that was her destination. It was cracked open, leaving the handsome blond elf occupying the room visible from the exterior. For a moment she questioned her decision to go there, she could not even think of a reason as to why her feet had directed her where she was, and yet she wanted to be there. 

Elerrina pushed the door softly with a hand, opening it wider, as her other hand knocked lightly on the wooden frame, informing the occupier of her presence. Legolas turned to look at her, his eyes soft and kind as they found hers. He offered her a smile that reached his infinite blue eyes as he walked to where she stood. 

“Are you ready?” he asked her now standing right in front of her. 

She did not move, and only smiled back, a faint half-hearted smile. She did not know why she had come seeking him, and now found that she really had nothing to say to him. She had only needed his presence, but now she could not realize why. 

She did not know what to answer him. She was not ready. How could she be? She did not even know what to expect. He seemed to understand her hesitation, for he did not press her for an answer but waited patiently for her to speak, or simply stand there silently, whichever she chose. 

Part of her knew that she had come looking for him because he was her brother, and she felt that he was the person she was supposed to go when she needed comfort.   
And yet, part of her felt that she really had nothing to say to the elf standing in front of her, she did not really know him and they did not share the bond siblings shared. 

“No” she whispered softly. He simply nodded his head as he continued to look at her, his eyes kind and comprehensive. For a moment she simply looked at him, painfully aware that it was easier for him to see her as a sister than for her to see him as a brother. Her remembered things she did not. 

Legolas looked different now, dressed in travel clothes and not in his usual elegantly embroidered tunics. A long, dark green cloak hung around his shoulders and back and his long, light blond hair had been braided back from his face in the manner of elven warriors. She could see twin daggers strapped at his waist as well as fine bow hanging across his back next to a quiver filled with arrows.

“I am scared” she admitted openly in another whisper. Legolas placed a hand on her shoulder as he offered her another one of his perfect smiles. 

“I know” he said in a soft voice as he welcomed her into his infinite sky blue eyes. She remained still, not really having anything else to say. He kept looking at her, rubbing her arm soothingly in silence. Long moments passed but neither of them said a word. 

“I..”she started, hesitating while she spoke “I do not really have a reason as to why I came” Her eyes sought his only to find his infinite orbs filled with comprehension and sympathy. 

“Sometimes you do not really need a reason” She smiled at his words, already feeling better. 

“Thank you” Was her simple answer. 

Suddenly he looked around her and outside the door and she turned to see if there was someone there, but found no one. When she turned to face him, she found him smiling broadly as his eyes looked at her suspiciously. 

“Why do I get you all to myself? Where did you leave Elladan?” She chuckled in return. The simple mention of the elder twin’s name made her heart accelerate as her mind traveled back to that special moment in the gardens. 

“Where did I leave him? I would say he was the one who left me to go change. He is probably with Elrohir now.” He smiled broadly at her and she felt once again comfortable around him, finally understating why she had come to him in the first place. True, she did not have anything to say to him in specific, but she had simply wanted his presence. 

“We should head down” he said softly, announcing the reality she had been trying to repress. 

“You go ahead, I want to find Elladan first” 

She did not really know why she said that, but was only trying to delay going down to meet the rest of the elves who seemed ready to depart. Legolas looked at her for a moment, his eyes completely understanding the real reason masked in her words. However, he simple nodded his head lightly as he turned around and left the room. 

Elerrina stood in the doorway for a couple of seconds, her eyes staring at the now empty hallway through which her brother had disappeared. Finally she commanded her feet to move out of the room and in the direction of the twins’ bedchambers. She could not think of anywhere else to go in the hectic house. 

She felt her heart floating inside her chest as she made her way through the house. Her mind filled with anticipation as she visualized Elladan’s liquid silver eyes staring at her, his long raven hair hanging over his shoulders and back, the mischievous glint in his smirk. She would not tell him that she was scared, as she had so easily told Legolas; she could not tell him. 

She reached the very familiar door that led to his large bedchamber and knocked softly, but received no answer. She knocked again, this time a little harder. No answer. Finally, she opened the door and looked inside the room only to find it empty. 

Not wanting to believe the twins were already in the courtyard, Elerrina walked towards the door that connected to Elrohir’s bedchamber. She knocked on the door, and opened it wide after receiving no answer. The younger twin’s bedchamber was also empty. 

Her heart sunk inside her chest as she realized that she too needed to head down. Reluctantly, she made her way down the long corridors once again. The tall, delicate columns supporting the pointed arches seemed to stretch taller, making her feel incredibly small and weak; the corridors seemed to expand, and it felt that with every step she took, the end stretched a step farther from her, becoming and endless tunnel. 

Voices reached her ears just as she walked by the large pair of doors that lead to Lord Elrond’s study. She stopped, frozen as she recognized the familiar musical voice of the golden haired Balrog Slayer speaking in a tone that indicated that a heated argument was currently taking place on the other side of the doors. 

Glorfindel’s voice sounded stern, raised a little higher than usual, but she could not understand a single word he said. He was speaking elvish. She had heard it spoken before but could not make out a single word. 

Shaking her head lightly she moved to continue her march when a second voice interrupted Lord Elrond’s Seneschal. Elerrina froze and held her breath as she turned her attention back to the large doors: It was Elladan who had spoken. His calmed, melodic voice sounded angry now, raised as much as Glorfindel’s as he also spoke in his native tongue, the words sounding beautiful, but the tone was unfriendly. It surprised her to realize that she had only heard the elder twin speak in his tongue once or twice before. He spoke the common tongue in her presence, so that she could understand what was being said. 

She knew she should not eavesdrop on a conversation, but could not get herself to move. Glorfindel said something again, his voice now raised a little higher and Elladan answered back not a second after, sounding harsh and cold. 

“Dan” She heard Elrohir’s voice say to his twin in a warning tone only to receive another cold statement from Glorfindel that made the younger twin fall silent again. 

Elladan said something else, this time his voice low and cold, trembling with ire. She did not understand the words, but the tone alone said enough. 

“Elladan” the younger twin warned again, but was completely ignored by the other two elves. 

Glorfindel answered the elder twin with another comment, his voice also lower now, but not even sounding half as angered as Elladan’s. It sounded stern, commanding, as if indicating that his point held no space for further argument. 

“You have no right!” She heard Elladan mutter behind clenched teeth as he suddenly switched to the common tongue. “You have no right to tell her to come. She owes no loyalty to Imladris. It is not our place to force her to come.” 

Her heart skipped a beat, as she understood that she was the subject of the argument. She felt a conflict growing inside of her; she did not know if she should feel grateful that Elladan seemed so focused on keeping her out of danger, or hurt that he so strongly did not want her to go with him. 

“You are right” came Glorfindel’s calmed, yet cold voice. “And yet you know that we need her”

She heard Elladan argue back in elvish, followed by Glorfindel’s voice, Elrohir completely left out of the conversation, either by force or choice, she did not know. Finally the argument switched back to the common tongue as Glorfindel’s cold, commanding voice reached her ears, carrying a power that no elf would ever dare to defy. 

“Then ask her, Elladan” the words were followed by a prolonged silence, until the Balrog Slayer’s voice echoed again inside the room. “It is her choice and not mine, you have said so yourself. Then, ask her. Although you already know her answer, do you not?” 

A long moment of silence passed and Elerrina almost believed the argument was over. However, Elladan’s voice reached her ears again, this time low and bitter, trembling with iced rage as the words left his mouth like cold daggers aimed at the golden haired warrior. 

“How could she say no? How could she after you have made her believe Adar’s life depends on her? You say that you will give her a choice, but will you really? You should have asked her before throwing in that we needed her. That does not give her much choice, does it?”

She heard steps coming towards the exit and seconds later the door was being forcefully pushed open as Elladan left the room. She remained frozen, a few feet away from him as his silver eyes caught her, feeling the tension emanating from his body. He too froze as the door closed behind him, his eyes staring deeply into her, his lips pressed in a thin line. Suddenly she felt she should not have been there; he knew she had heard, even if she had not understood more than half of the argument. 

However, whatever it was she had expected him to say would have been better than what happened next. Elladan’s eyes broke away from hers after a short moment, as his silver orbs turned to the front and he walked past her, not looking back even once. 

Elerrina watched him as he strode away from her view, his determined steps leading him through a long corridor until he disappeared around a corner. She stood there, in the empty space between the now dead argument and the ghost of where she had last seen Elladan. She could feel his tension, feel his anger and interior conflict as she realized that he was being torn in between her and his father. Endangering her would guarantee his father’s rescue and, at the same time, keeping her safe compromised it. 

Slowly, she continued her march towards the main courtyard, not wanting to be at the sight of the other two elves when they left the study. Her feet were walking on their own as she found her mind now completely detached from reality. 

She was scared, every elf was armed, was trained and knew how to fight, but she, she could not even hold a sword. On the other hand, the argument had seemed to give her a new determination to go, a new strength, and that alone was what kept her feet walking one in front of the other. 

The courtyard was already packed with elves, some of them mounted on their horses, some even already aligned in place. So many elves. She could see some elves standing, holding the reins of two or three horses as their owners came to claim them. 

She had not trouble in spotting Legolas, standing only a couple of feet away from her, holding the reins of a beautiful white horse. His eyes met hers and she offered him a soft smile as she made her way to where he stood. 

“May I?” she asked as she extended a hand towards the white horse. Legolas smiled widely at her as his eyes sparkled with their natural glow. 

“Of course” he said as he pulled at the reins for the majestic horse to take a couple of steps forward, closer to her. Granting her brother another smile, she stretched her hand and softly touched the horse’s head, her palm caressing the beautiful animal that fascinated her. The horse remained calm, allowing her to softly pet him. 

“Do you ride?” She heard Legolas ask her, but she did not turn her eyes from the beautiful animal in front of her. 

“No” She finally let her hands separate from the animal as she once again focused her attention on the elven Prince standing in front of her. 

“You have one of your own, you know?” He said smiling as he motioned to the horse. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she looked at him with a disbelieving expression. 

“A horse?” she asked, even thought she already knew the answer. He laughed lightly as he nodded his head. 

“Yes, at the stables back home. No one has ever mounted it; it has always belong to you, to Almarëa.” 

She kept staring at him with wide eyes. A horse. She had her own horse, and she did not even know how to ride one. Somehow, hearing this made it easier to believe the news of her true inheritance, to believe that Almarëa was real, that Almarëa was her, and that she really had a home and a family. 

“So, tell me” she said with a raised eyebrow as she smiled playfully at him “What else do I have?” 

He chuckled at her words as he shook his head, but did not get a chance to answer as Glorfindel finally appeared in the main courtyard. The golden haired warrior walked past the elves in long strands as he made his way to a white horse that had been readied for him, and, in a single, graceful movement, jump onto its back. 

She turned around to find that Elladan and Elrohir had also appeared on the courtyard, both dressed in their traveling clothes and their respective blue and green cloaks. A dark haired elf came to them holding the reins of their horses, as he handed each animal to his owner. 

Elladan’s silver eyes found hers easily and she quickly walked in his direction, forgetting about all the other elves in the large courtyard. She could feel he was calmer now, his previous anger had considerably diminished as his eyes deeply stared at her, holding a strange combination of love, pain and worry. 

His eyes never left her as she reached his side, and from the corner of her eyes, she could see Elrohir gracefully mount on his horse and head forward, towards the front of the line where Glorfindel awaited. But none of the other elves seemed to matter now, as she had only eyes for Lord Elrond’s firstborn. She loved him, and he loved her. That was all that mattered to her. 

“Here. It is Arwen’s, but I believe it will fit you” he said softly, as he gently placed a cloak he had been holding over her, the fine velvet feeling warm and soft as it hung on her back and shoulders. It was a rich green color, elegantly embroidered in delicate gold patterns, and it fitted her perfectly, almost as if it had been made for her. 

She remained silent as she watched his hands secure the cloak with a gorgeous pin at her front. For a moment, her eyes were lost in the beautiful silver jewel, adorned with many tiny sapphires and emeralds that undulated from its center. She looked up at his eyes as his right hand gently traveled to her cheek. 

“Elerrina” he said in a soft voice as his liquid silver eyes pleaded her silently. “You do not have to come if you do not want to” 

She could not say anything, but simply chose to stare at him, the pained and worried look in his eyes told her that he already knew the answer to his unspoken plea. Instead, she placed her hand over his on her cheek as she leaned into his touch, offering him a sad smile. 

 

He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to her forehead before gracefully jumping onto the back of his horse, his light blue cloak swirling around him. Smiling only half-heartedly he offered her his right hand and pulled her up behind him. She had always ridden in front of him, but she understood that he had better control of the horse if he was at the front. Silently, she wrapped her arms around his torso as they moved to the front, painfully noticing how he was careful not to move his left arm much, the wound on his shoulder still far from healed. 

All the other elves had formed into neat lines, and she could easily spot Legolas close to the front, as Glorfindel yelled instructions in elvish. Elerrina held tightly to Elladan, as she concentrated on his long dark strands of hair falling over the very familiar light blue cloak; on the long sword strapped at his waist and the bow and arrows on his back; on his tall, regal posture of the warrior she knew he was. 

“What is he saying?” she asked him quietly as she referred to Glorfindel.

“He is going over the protocols” He told her as he half turned his head to look at her.

“Would you teach me?” He turned his face again as his eyes looked at her, puzzled. “How to speak elvish, I mean. Would you teach me?” she explained and he laughed lightly at her for a moment. 

“It is called Sindarin.” He corrected as he offered her one of his true smiles. “And yes, I will teach you, if you would like” 

She only got to smile in return, for Glorfindel suddenly gave the order to depart and the horses started moving fast. She secured her hold on Elladan as they moved, running fast at the head of the party, next to Elrohir and Glorfindel. She felt fear take hold of her again, her insecurities all seemed to return as they ran out of the safety of the valley, the golden lights of the house growing fainter in the distance as they entered into the dark forest ahead. 

Vilya kept whispering loudly, ringing in her ears as she felt its urgency, its need to return to its master. Suddenly she felt her mind being pulled from her body again, as she disappeared from reality, her vision becoming black. 

She was once again lying on the ground, facing the dark night sky and could see two nasty creatures with yellow eyes hovering over her. Her head rolled to one side and she was able to see the familiar rocky landscape surrounding her. They had not moved. 

“I will be gentle one las’ time” snarled one of the orcs, the sound making her skin crawl. “Where. Is. It?” 

The second orc snarled fiercely at the lack of answer and two more of the nasty creatures came into her view, their sick, yellow eyes looking at her hungrily. 

“What if ‘e does not ‘ave it?” said another creature, this one standing to her left side. 

“’e ‘as it!” snarled the first orc as he fiercely turned from one creature to another. “’e knows where it is, don’t you Elf-Lord?” A twisted smile appeared on the foul face, as the title was pronounced in clear mockery and disrespect. Again, there was no answer. 

“We are tired of your silence!” the creature grunted, followed by the sickening sound of a boot hitting flesh. She would have screamed, would have reached her hands to her mouth had it not been for the fact the she was not really present. 

“The rings react to fire!” snarled the creature as it looked at the other three orcs that framed her vision. “Burn ‘is ‘ands” 

“No!” She heard another orc growl as the nasty face f a larger orc appeared on her view, the creature grabbing the first orc by the neck with enough force to rip his head off. She saw the yellow eyes of the victim grow wide as it struggled against the hold of what seemed to be the leader. 

“There will be no burning! Nobody touches the elf! Those were ‘is orders!” The leader released the struggling orc, and the scared creature quickly disappeared from her sight, gasping for air. The other three nasty faces had remained frozen, their sick eyes looking intently at the larger orc. 

“Now Elf-Lord, if you will not cooperate I will ‘ave to put you in another nap” The creature smiled maliciously, the twisted expression on its face made shivers ran down her spine. Her vision suddenly turned once again black, Vilya releasing a loud, high-pitched cry in her ears as the Elf-Lord’s presence was suddenly cut off from her mind, unconscious again.


	29. Chapter 29

The chilled wind of the night ran fast past her, hitting her face and whistling on her ears, as she held tight to Elladan’s body. They had been running for several hours now, the legs of the horses drummed loudly against the ground, which almost seemed to shake from the force. The dark shaped of leaves and branches flew past her eyes, but she was not looking, her open eyes stared at nothing. 

She had not mentioned the last vision that had consumed her mind. The orcs had not moved, and thus she did not consider it necessary to alarm anyone. The images of the nasty faces and their sickly yellow eyes still burned fresh before her eyes, the twisted voice ordering to burn the Elf-Lord’s hands still echoing inside her head. 

Elladan had not seemed to notice her vision, as he remained focused on the front, never turning his head back. He was distant, his mind obscured in thoughts of his own and she could feel his strong determination feeding on some sort of reawakened hatred inside of him. Elerrina tightened her hold on him, just to simply remind him of her presence, to unsuccessfully pull him back from his dark thoughts. She could see Elrohir riding close to their right; his focused silver eyes cold and distant like iced steel, as he leant forward on the back of his horse. 

Suddenly Glorfindel gave indications to stop for some hours of rest and she was pulled out of her trance a she felt the galloping of the horse underneath her cease. Elladan jumped to the ground in a graceful, swift movement, and she could see the other elves around them following his example. He turned to face her and gently helped her dismount, offering her a small comforting smile. 

Once her feet touched the ground he pressed a quick kiss to her temple as his hand reached for hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. His face perfectly masked all of his emotions, but she could feel them swirling inside of him. 

“How are you doing?” he asked softly as she stared into the depths of his liquid silver eyes. 

“I am fine” She reassured him with the faintest of smiles “How are you?” 

Elladan turned his eyes away from her as he looked to the side, his lack of answer indicating her that he had no intention of lying to her, but at the same time, did not want to tell the truth. She reached her palm softly to his cheek and gently turned his face to look back at her. Profound silver eyes turned in her direction again, filled with anxiety and sorrow. His eyes alone answered the question that his voice would not. 

“What can I do?” She asked in a whisper, already feeling her heart shatter at the heavy burden he carried in his troubled eyes “What can I do to ease what troubles you?” 

He did not answer, but only offered her a sad smile in a failed attempt to reassure her as he leant closer and placed his lips to her forehead. He rested his head over hers for a moment, and she felt his hand rubbing her arm soothingly. 

“You can always remind me of how much you like me” He said in a lighter tone as he pulled away to look at her. His eyes now held a faint glint of their usual glow and Elerrina knew that he was making an effort to distract her form his dark thoughts. 

His words awarded a wide smile from her part as her mind suddenly traveled back to the enchanted moment they had shared in the gardens some hours ago. She let herself fall freely into his endless silver eyes, which shone with love-sparkled mischief as they teased her, clearly communicating the hidden meaning behind the word like.

“Are you mocking me, my Lord?” Elerrina opened her mouth in fake hurt as she pressed her hand to her chest. “Now that is not very polite, especially when addressing a Princess” 

Elladan grinned at her as his eyes sparkled with light, they heavy, haunted aura around them momentarily forgotten. 

“My apologies, my Lady, I would never even think of mocking you,” He said using his formal lordly manner, and yet his eyes mirrored the mischief in his wide grin. 

She playfully slapped him in the arm and he let out a soft laugh that floated in the air like wind chimes in the hopeless night. However, the blissful moment did not last long as the heavy atmosphere clung once again to his shoulders and his grin was diminished to a simple smile. 

“Come, you should try to get some sleep” He added as he motioned for her to follow him to where the elves had already fashioned a camping place. 

A large fire had been made in the center of the camp, and elves lay down around them, in any place they found comfortable enough. Some of them sat in groups of three or four, quietly sharing stories or simply staring at the roaring flames in silence; others were already wrapped in the arms of sleep, as their glazed eyes stared at the dark blue sky. 

They joined Legolas and Elrohir, who were silently sitting on a spot a little bit separated from the bunch of other elves. The blond Prince lifted his gaze as they approached, his lips curving in a faint smile, but the younger twin did not move, his eyes lost in the cracking fire, his mind distant in thoughts of his own. 

Elladan lowered himself to the ground, next to is twin, whose silver eyes snapped up to meet and equal pair, exchanging one of their looks that seemed to speak with muted words. Allowing the twins a moment of their own, Elerrina silently sat next to Legolas, already feeling sleep start to take a hold of her. 

Her brother did not start a conversation as his gentle blue eyes followed her every move. She did not want to talk and he did not seem to be in the mood for a chat either. Elerrina could hear the twins whispering lowly in elvish as she lay down on her side, closing her green eyes to hide herself in the dark comfort of her eyelids. 

The ground was cold and hard, but it did not bother her. She rested her head on her hands, using them as a make-shift pillow as she let her mind slowly drift away to the soft lullaby of the twin’s low whispers, melting into the cool night air along with the sad song of the swaying trees…

Elerrina blinked twice as her mind abruptly returned from the real of dreamless sleep. Everything was quiet, and the only sound that reached her ears was the dull cracking of the dying fire, as its faint flames struggled for survival. Legolas laid asleep to her right, his glazed eyes staring at the stars above, lost inside his own mind. 

Somehow she felt more comfortable than she had before falling asleep, and it took her moment to realize that her head was lying on something soft, and no longer on her hands, or the cold, hard ground. Slowly she sat up and a smile grew on her face as her eyes found a neatly folded light blue cloak in the spot where her head had been. Her eyes darted to her right, looking past Legolas in search of the owner of the cloak, but Elladan was no longer in sight; and neither was Elrohir. 

The sound of light steps far to her left made her turn her head, looking over the disordered bunch of sleeping elves. She could make out the silhouette of a dark-haired figure slowly disappearing in the darkness, walking away from the crowded camp and into the forest. 

“Elladan?” She called in faint whisper, far too low for his ears to hear it in the distance, but she did not want to wake the other elves. The elder twin did not turn as he vanished deeper among the sleeping trees, away from her sight. 

Silently, she rose to her feet, meaning to follow him as she tip-toed her way between the sleeping forms, careful not to step on anyone. As she reached the spot in which Elladan’s graceful figure had disappeared, a hand suddenly grabbed her by the arm, abruptly stopping her. She jumped in surprise and let out a gasp as her eyes turned to face a pair of soft blue eyes. 

“Let them be. Dark memories plague their minds” said Glorfindel gravely as his eyes stared deeply into hers, stressing his words. Them; so Elrohir had also wondered away in the forest. Silently she nodded her head and the golden haired warrior released his strong hold on her arm. Without another word, he turned around and walked away, leaving her staring at the spot in which Elladan had faded into darkness. 

She turned her gaze back to the camp when she heard more steps approaching her. Legolas had awakened and was now making his way to where she stood, his eyes also staring out into the forest. 

“They left, did they not?” He said softly as he reached his side. 

“Yes” She breathed as her eyes turned to face his brother. It was not the first time that she saw Elladan wonder away at night, and both times he had not wanted to be followed. 

“They will be back before we set off again” He said reassuringly, and by the look in his eyes, she understood that the situation was not new to him. 

“What troubles them? I know this is not only about Lord Elrond” she whispered to him as her eyes searched in his for an honest answer. She had taken the Elf-Lord’s capture as the cause for the twin’s sudden coldness and grief, but now she understood that their dark feelings had been there all along.

“No, it is not. This has merely resurrected haunting images from a past not too long ago.” Legolas’ voice was low and she could hear it faintly stained with pain. He took a deep breath as his eyes lifted to stare into the darkness ahead.

“I was in Imladris by the time Lady Celebrian was captured. I was there when the twins returned with her torn body in their arms, and she did not even know that it was her sons who had rescued her. It was a full year before she sailed, and not once in those twelve months, did she allow her sons to touch her. At times she did not even recognize them. They resent the orcs for it, and for years after she sailed they would hunt and kill every single one they found. You saw the look on Elrohir’s eyes while we rode, did you not? They looked like that for long years, guided by poisoned hatred.” 

Elerrina felt her throat tighten as the unimagined, brutal truth was explained to her. She had know bits and pieces of the story, but now realized that she had only heard a sugar coated mask. She had known the Lady Celebrian had sailed, and had known that the loss had affected her sons, but she had never been told about the capture.

She did not know what had made Legolas tell her the complete story, but was grateful to finally understand. She knew the twins never mentioned their mother, and if they did, they did it distantly, not really going into detail as to not allow memories to come back. 

“Elladan never mentioned…He never said…” She did not know what to say, and yet she already knew that Elladan did not hide the truth from her to shield her, but because he did not want to remember it. 

“They do not speak about it. Their wounds run deeper than they allow to see, and they have not yet healed. I do not think any in the family will ever be the same again. Arwen now spends most of her time in Lorien, barely returning to Imladris, and Lord Elrond isolates himself.” 

“Why are you telling me all of this?” She whispered, completely taken aback by her brother’s honesty in relating the twins’ past. More than ever she wanted to be by Elladan’s side, and yet knew that it was best if she left him alone. 

“Because I have seen the way Elladan looks at you; the way you look at him. He loves you, Elerrina, but he will never tell you this story, and not because he does not want to, but because he cannot bear to do so. I believe you can take him out of his misery. You have already started to do so.” 

Legolas smiled sadly at her as his eyes stared deep into hers, swallowing her in infinite light blue oceans that seemed to reflect a morning sky. She did not say anything as she looked away from him, staring once again into the darkness of the forest ahead, lost in the point in which the elf she so deeply loved had faded into the distance. 

“Come, give them the time they need” He said with a soft smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her back to the spot in which they had slept. Elerrina did not complain, did not say anything as she slowly walked back, her head haunted by pain and darkness. 

Silently, she lay back down on the ground and pretended to be tired, to want to get some sleep, even if she knew that she was not fooling Legolas. Nonetheless, he said nothing to her, and allowed her to lay on her side, her back to him, as she buried her head on Elladan’s light blue cloak, loosing herself on his scent as se struggled to fade away into the world of peaceful dreams. 

She did not know for how long she laid like that, awake while her mind wondered away, absent from all reality. She did not even know if she had fallen asleep, or if Legolas was still awake, but did not care. 

Her insides reached for Elladan, longed to find, to feel him, and she almost gasped in surprise when she felt a warm presence inside of her. It was distant, and dull, but it was there. She could feel him, could feel his pain, his grief, and also knew that he was not alone; Elrohir was with him. She could not explain how she knew this, why she could feel this, but somehow knew that a bond was beginning to form between them. It was weak, and completely knew to her, but it existed. For the first time in her life, she understood what it felt to share a bond with someone even if it was still faint and barely reachable. She could feel him. He was already a part of her, and she a part of him, even if they had not officially bonded. 

Lon g minutes stretched into hours, but sleep would not claim her. Gladly, she was pulled out of her trance when the noise of waking elves started to echo in the sleeping tree trunks. She rose to her feet unanimated, only to find out that Legolas had already departed to ready his horse. 

Elves moved all around the camp, gracefully jumping onto the back of their horses and started to form a neat line. She could hear Glorfindel giving some instructions, but did not care about that as her eyes searched around the place, longing to find the pair of familiar silver eyes she yearned for. 

The sky was now a murky shade of purple, as dawn threatened to break the peaceful silence of night. She felt herself breath a sigh of relief as her eyes fell on the silhouette o two identical figures emerging from the dark forest. Her feet started to move forward at a quick pace, taking her to the twins before her mind had a chance to think about it. 

“Rina” She heard Elladan’s soft voice say to her as she reached his side. Elrohir granted her a small smile before continuing his march towards his horse. 

“Thank you,” She said handing him back the folded cloak. 

“You are most welcome” He said softly as he flung the light blue cloak around his shoulders, securing it with a beautiful silver pin. His eyes met hers and she was pulled into his endless pools of liquid silver. 

“I hope the ground was comfortable enough for you, your highness” He said in a playful tone as he bent down in a dramatic bow, his eyes sparkling with silver mischief in their depths. 

“Oh, I barely slept at all. It was so cold and hard” she complaint playfully, her eyes never leaving his. 

“You fell asleep in seconds” he whispered in her ear, quickly pointing out the lies in her fake complaints. She smiled widely at him, but it did not last long. 

“And you did not sleep at all” she whispered back, her eyes free-falling into his as his silver irises spoke better than any words. He knew that she knew. And he would not speak about it. Elerrina reached for him, feeling the need to be closer to him as she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck. 

“Shoulder!” Elladan warned her just in time for her to stop herself before touching him as he took a step back. 

“Shoulder” she breathed with wide eyes as she realized how close her arm had been from fully resting over his healing wound. He let out a light laugh at her surprised look, the sweetest sound her ears could ever be delighted with. He then leaned in and stole a quick kiss from her in a moment in which no other elf was watching them. 

In a swift, graceful movement, Elladan was already sitting straight on the back of his horse, a hand offered for her to take. She was pulled up to sit behind him and she wrapped her arms tightly around his middle. 

“I like you” She whispered close to his ear as they started to move to the front of the line. She saw his lips curve up in a smile, but he did not turn or said anything as they joined Glorfindel and Elrohir. 

Not even seconds after, they were once again moving fast between the trees, her body jolting up and down to the galloping of Elladan’s horse. Impulsively, her eyes darted to Elrohir, who rode just to their right, and found his cold eyes once again focused on the front, glazed with iced anger. 

A ghostly silence crept around the party as the moved through the forest. She did not know for how long they had been riding: was it minutes? Hours? The sun should have been high in the sky by now, but the murky canvas of grey clouds prevented her from locating its position on the shaded sky. 

The landscape around them had started to change, and they had been going slightly uphill for some time now. Large rocks grew from the ground to their sides and front, framing a landscape that was not new to her eyes. She could feel Vilya’s impatience as it whispered loudly in a strange tongue, but there was something about its whispers that made her insides fill with anxiousness. 

No sound could be heard as they now slowly walked up the rocky landscape. She could see the same rocks stretching infinitely to the sides and ahead, and wondered if it would be possible for them to find the place where the Elf-Lord was in such a vast collection of mountains. 

Vilya cried again, the high-pitched wound ringing in her ears as it glowed brighter now. Her insides cringed at the cry as her eyes looked frantically around her. The blue-stoned ring was anxious, impatient to reach its master. And yet, she could not help but feel that something was wrong. 

The elves around her seemed restless, alert eyes turning from left to right as they sat straight on the back of their horses. Their tension and sudden alarm told her that they were close to the orcs, and yet they had still not heard a sound. 

Minutes stretched in this tensed aura as the deadly silence became heavier with each second. They marched on and on among the large rocks, but still no sound, no clue, no nothing. She started to wonder if the orcs had really been there in the first place; if the visions she witnessed had been true at all? She knew they should have already run into them, by the increased suspiciousness in the other elves’ eyes. 

 

She opened her mouth to say something to Elladan, but the words never left her mouth as the party suddenly halted. She could hear low whispers rising in the air around her as the elves started to mutter in elvish among them, their eyes glued to the front. Elerrina tightened her hold on the elder twin as she leaned to the side to be able to look at whatever had caused the commotion. 

Some feet away from them, in the middle of a rocky clearing, a figure lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine and air abandoned her lungs as her eyes fell on the figure: long, raven hair that shielded the face from their view, and an elegant light grey robe now stained with dirt and dust. It was Lord Elrond.


	30. Chapter 30

Elladan jumped from the horse in less than a second as he joined Elrohir and Glorfindel, who were already hurrying towards the unmoving figure of the Elf-Lord. For a moment, Elerrina could not move. Time and space had seemed to freeze, as her eyes remained glued on the Lord of Imladris’ limp form. 

She saw Elladan throw himself on the ground, kneeling to the right side of his father while Elrohir and Glorfindel took the left, their hands quickly assessing any signs of life. None of the other elves had moved, unsure of how to proceed in the situation as they nervously waited for news on their seemingly unconscious lord.

She could not bear to look at the Elf-Lord, and yet, her eyes would not part from his limp figure. Her mind kept reviving the terrifying seconds she spent hidden in the cold darkness of the cabinet while she heard the orcs successfully take captive the Master of Rivendell. She could still hear the sound of the Elf-Lord’s light grey robes trashing as they hit the floor, the nauseating noise of a boot hitting flesh…

Elerrina watched expectantly as Glorfindel gently turned Elrond over on his back, her heart freezing in her chest as she saw both of the twins’ eyes widen suddenly. Elrohir’s hand reached to the Elf-Lord forehead, brushing away the dark strands of hair that fell on his face, the touch so gentle she hardly believed he had touched him. A large gash covered in dried blood spread over the Elf-Lord’s right eyebrow, marking the place in which he had been brutally knocked unconscious. A fine trail of fresh blood still flowed from the wound, like a bright red threat that ran down the aggressively bruised cheekbone. 

Elladan’s quick fingers reached frantically to the side of his neck, checking for a pulse. Seconds seemed to stretch, and time seemed to stop as they all waited in silence, her heart drumming hardly inside her chest, its constant pounding the only sound that reached her ears. After long seconds, Elladan’s silver gaze shot up to meet her eyes, the silver irises relieved and sure as he nodded his head before directing his gaze back to his father. Elerrina felt herself release the breath she did not know she had been holding as Elladan’s low words echoed in the silent air, louder than they had been pronounced. 

“Pulse is strong, although his skin feels ice cold” he breathed and she could see Elrohir let out a sigh of relief, even if his eyes did not travel up to meet his brother’s gaze, never leaving his father’s face. 

“I do not see any blood, apart from that on the head wound” Elrohir’s voice muttered as his eyes looked up at the Balrog Slayer, searching for a confirmation on his assumptions. 

“Neither do I. There are two broken ribs, and the right arm also appears to be broken.” She could hear Glorfindel’s steady diagnose as his eyes traveled up and down his Lord’s form, hands carefully feeling the bones for fractures. They were so close to her, only a couple of feet away from the place in which she stood, along with the forgotten party of elves; and yet, they seemed so far. Everything seemed so far and distant as her eyes watched carefully the scene before her, unable to look anywhere else. She felt as if an invisible barrier had formed, separating the rest of the elves from Glorfindel and the twins, as nobody dared to take a step closer. 

But it was not that invisible barrier which prevented her from moving. The air felt strange, the dead silence crawling on her skin, the stillness making her shiver slightly. Vilya had become heavy around her neck, pulling towards its master, whispering lowly. Something lurked in the grey air; she could feel it, almost like a ghostly presence unreachable to her senses. 

“Not a single orc” the soft, almost inaudible voice made her jump slightly, as she had not heard anybody approach. She turned her head to her left to meet Legolas’ worried light blue gaze, his thoughts neatly legible on his narrowed eyes. 

Sparing a quick look around her, she noticed the other elves gazing to their sides every once in a while, uneasy. She did not need words to know the thoughts that ran through their minds: Why were there no orcs? It looked as if the nasty creatures had simply abandoned the Elf-Lord. Were they waiting for them? Was all of this a trap? If it was indeed a trap or an ambush, then why had the orcs not attacked yet?

She saw Glorfindel gently scoop Lord Elrond into his arms, carrying the seemingly weightless body back to where the horses waited. A dark haired elf met him along the way, and helped the Balrog Slayer wrap the Elf-Lord in a thick, spare cloak. Elladan came to her side once his father was safely mounted on the horse, his limp form leaning against the golden haired warrior. 

Elerrina could see clear worry inundating Elladan’s liquid silver eyes, mixed with a strong sparkle of relief. His gaze met hers as he stood next his horse, upon which she sat, his thoughts completely transparent in his silver irises. He was also wondering about the orcs. 

Suddenly she felt the strange, lurking presence make itself known again, a ghost traveling in the dead breeze. Elladan’s eyes traveled to his left and right as she saw his body tense slightly. He was uneasy. 

“Elladan” she whispered in a shaky voice that betrayed her fear and worry. The elder twin’s silver eyes shot up immediately to meet hers, concerned. 

“We have to go. There is something here.” She said and he nodded his head in response, as his hand reached for hers, squeezing it reassuringly, but it did nothing to ease her anxiousness. 

“We need to go. I want to leave. Elladan I want to leave. I do not want to stay here. There is something here.” She knew she was starting to panic, but the presence felt stronger now. She felt watched. Her voice was low, whispered and shaky. 

A sudden cold raced down her spine as the presence became stronger and Vilya cried loudly, echoing inside her head like high-pitched drums on her skull. She tried to pull away, but felt something tugging on the edge of her mind, pulling her against her own will. A splitting pain spread inside her head as she felt herself being pulled into darkness by a force much more powerful than her, Vilya’s cries deafening her, only making the pain increase in level. It felt hard to breathe or concentrate on anything and she let out a cry in her attempt to block the presence that was forcefully breaking into her mind. 

“Who are you?” 

She felt the words echo loudly inside her head, bouncing on the walls of her skull in a haunting, grave voice. She tried to pull away, to liberate herself, but a strange force kept pulling at her. 

“Tell me your name” 

The voice echoed again, so loud, so demanding. She did not answer, the piercing pain behind her eyes making it impossible to think straight, let alone formulate words. Vilya kept crying loudly and all she wanted to do was scream, even if only to let out some of her pain. 

She could hear some voices in the background, faint and distant, their words impossible to understand. She could hear her name being called, but was muffled by the sharp pounding inside her head and the loud, raspy voice. 

“You can trust me. Tell me your name” 

She felt the presence push further into her mind, trying to forcefully get the information it asked for. The brutality and magnitude of the attack made the worst of pains explode inside her head as she cried again, not even sure if she had been able to utter any sound at all. The attack was too strong against her weak defenses and suddenly she felt everything disappear: the presence, the voice, Vilya’s cries. Everything remained black as she slipped into the open arms of unconsciousness…

Pain. That was the first thing she became aware of when her senses started to return to her. It was mild, but it was there, pounding behind her closed eyes. She could feel the gentle pace of a horse underneath her as well as a soft, humid breeze hitting her face. A strong arm held her by the waist, preventing her from slipping from the horse’s back, and at the same time pushing her to lean against a chest.   
Elerrina stirred ever so slightly, attempting to sit on her own, but the arm pulled her back.

“You can lean on me” She heard Elladan’s musical voice whisper softly on her ear, but she was barely aware of it. Feeling safe inside Elladan’s steady grip, she complied with his words, leaning her tired self against his chest as her head rested on his shoulder. The steady sound of the galloping horses felt like a hypnotizing lullaby as she felt herself drift away once more… 

Elerrina awoke when she felt the movement underneath her suddenly stop. Her head still pounded painfully, and for a moment, she felt disoriented, not really remembering where she was or the reason why she was there. It took her a second to remember the grave voice echoing inside her head, demanding for her name. 

“Rina? Can you hear me? We are stopping to get some rest” Elladan whispered gently on her ear, his warm breath caressing the side of her face as his words were pronounced softly, filled with tenderness and worry.

She could feel she was still leaning on him, her head still resting on his shoulder. Slowly, she lifted her head, and he lessened slightly his hold on her, allowing her to sit on her own. She felt her body slightly shaking as the fresh memories of her mind being forcefully invaded returned to her. 

Slowly, she turned her head to face Elladan, only to find his silver eyes locked on her, filled with fear. Darkness had fallen around her, making her wonder for how long she had been unconscious. Had she screamed out loud? Had she spoken while her head was being split in half? Judging by Elladan’s fearful eyes, she somehow knew she had vocalized some it. 

She felt him release his hold on her, waiting for a minute to make sure she sitting steadily on her own before jumping from the horse, landing gracefully on his feet. She did not move as he grabbed her by the waist, carrying her down to the ground and softly placing her on her feet, never releasing his grip from her waist. 

Elerrina threw her arms tightly around his middle, burying her head in the fine silk of his tunic, praying for his sweet scent to take away the ghost of the dark voice that continued to echo inside her head. She felt his arms wrapping tightly around her, holding on to her as his life depended on it, as if she would be snatched away from him any second. One of his hands rubbed soothing circles on her back while he pressed his lips on the top of her head, placing kisses all over her head and temple. 

After a moment, he slipped his hand behind her knees and gently lifted her in his arms. She felt drained and her headache pierced on the back of her eyeballs. She did not complain as he carried her towards an isolated corner, close to the large fire the camping elves had ignited. 

He lowered both of them to the ground, letting her lean against him once more, as he cradled her in his arms like he had done before in a few occasions. Her eyes slowly traveled over the camp, falling on a couple of dark haired elves who were carefully lowering the Elf-Lord’s unmoving figure from Glorfindel’s horseback.

Silently, she watched as the Lord of the Valley was gently laid down on ground, close to the fire, and covered in more cloaks as Glorfindel and other elves started to hover over him, probably taking care of his wounds. She could see Elrohir among them, carefully tending to the broken arm. 

She closed her eyes in an attempt to shield herself from the pain in her head and felt Elladan’s hand softly stroking her hair, as if he knew she was hurting. 

“Go to sleep” He ordered softly as his hand continued to brush through her golden strands of hair. She shook her head lightly in response. She did not want to go to sleep, fearing the presence would suddenly return and break into her mind. 

“No” She finally whispered as she shifted in his arms and buried her face in between his neck and shoulder, placing a kiss to the side of his neck. His curtain of dark hair shielded her from the bright fire, helping slightly with the pain as she kept her eyes closed. His hand travelled to her back, once again rubbing soothing circles. 

“Then, what can I do for you?” He asked gently as he did not continue to insist. She knew that he believed sleep would eventually claim her, for even though she intended to fight it, she knew it would eventually happen. 

“Talk to me” She said in a barely audible voice, not opening her eyes as she remained in the comforting darkness of the crook of his neck. 

“About what?” He answered with a soft chuckle while his hand traced another circle on her back. 

“You” She breathed out. She desperately wanted to distract her mind, to loose herself in the sound of his voice as he spoke, no matter the topic. He laughed lightly at her request, the melodic sound already distracting her momentarily from the splitting pain. 

“What would you like to hear?” He whispered as she let out tired sigh. 

“Anything.” She shifted the position of her head until she felt incredibly comfortable, her face still buried in the crook of his neck. “Tell me something I do not know already” 

“Something you do not know…” He muttered as he thought for a moment, his hand rubbing her back making her feel slightly sleepy already as she fought to stay awake. 

“I do not like strawberries, or the color purple” She felt the faintest of laughs escape her lips at his words. 

“Strawberries are my favorites” She whispered tiredly with a smile. 

“I know. I have noticed.” He said with a chuckle before continuing. “I am deathly afraid of mice. Once Elrohir thought it funny to place one on my head and I chocked and almost passed out. You should have heard the lecture he received from Adar.”   
She laughed lightly again, trying her best not to move as to not reawaken her slightly lessening pain. 

“Also, I can move my ears” He added as his hand continued to rub her back soothingly, the constant movement slowly dulling the pain as she fought against sleep. 

“What?” she said with a muted chuckle. “How do you do that?” 

However, Elladan did not answer and she heard light steps come to stop next to where they sat on the ground. 

“How is she doing?” She heard Elrohir’s kind voice asking his twin in a low whisper. She heard no answer from Elladan’s part, and thus assumed that they had silently exchanged words in a look. 

“Elerrina?” She lifted her head upon the younger twin’s soft call of her name, squinting somewhat painfully at the light. 

“Drink this. It will make the pain stop” Nodding her head silently, she accepted the cup Elrohir was handing her. She did not ask about how he knew she had a headache, she could already guess that Elladan had informed him. 

Slowly she lifted the cup to her lips just as Elrohir sat on the ground next to his twin brother. The taste was bitter and she completely disliked it, but she would drink it if it would take away the pounding behind her eyeballs. 

“How is Ada?” Elladan asked as his silver eyes turned to meet an equal pair. 

“Still unresponsive. His wounds are nothing life threatening, although the blow to the head worries me. I do not know how many hours he has been unconscious already, or how many more he will be.” 

Her gaze travelled again to the still figure of the Elf-Lord lying on the ground close to the roaring fire as she lifted the cup once again to her lips. 

“Ro, the orcs did not torture him. They barely touched him at all” Elladan said softly, his tone sounding wary. 

“I know. I saw that” was the simple answer. Elrohir’s eyes held the same thoughtful look reflected in Elladan’s. She could almost hear the unspoken questions behind the pronounced ones. Why had the orcs left the Elf-Lord to be rescued? 

Elrohir gently took the cup from her hands once she had finished its bitter contents. He offered her a smile before standing up and making his way back to where his father lay, underneath Glorfindel’s watchful soft blue eyes. 

Silently she buried her face back in the crook of Elladan’s neck, but this time he leaned back until he was lying on the ground, pulling her to lie next to him. She did not complain or fight as she comfortably lied down on the ground, her head resting on Elladan’s shoulder while his arms wrapped around her. 

“Now go to sleep” He said gently in her ear. She felt tired, exhausted, and started to finally give in to his request. And yet, she was still afraid of abandoning herself into her mind, into the dark haunting voice, or the sole idea that the presence might return. Fighting sleep would be of no use now, for she could already feel herself start to drift away, the sounds and smells becoming distant. 

“Dan?” She whispered as she made an effort to lift her head and look directly into his eyes, her own green orbs wide with fear. His liquid silver eyes regarded her expectantly, lovingly, as he waited for her words. 

“Please stay here. Do not go off into the forest tonight. Stay with me, please.” She had never asked him to stay before. She knew it was somewhat selfish to deny him of his escape into the forest that night, but her fears overpowered her mind. 

He softly pushed her back down until her head was once again resting on his shoulder and his hand started to gently stroke her hair, making her close her eyes as sleep finally claimed her. 

“I am not going anywhere” was all she heard before her tired mind travelled into the distance, to the peaceful time and space of rest…


	31. Wake Me Up

The familiar dense forest grew all around her, the golden light filtering scarcely through the thick, green foliage, tracing various patterns on the grass underneath her feet. She looked to the front, eyes expecting what she already knew they would find. The elfling was there, crouching over a large rock, one hand playing absently with the crystal waters of the stream. Again, no sound, no smell, no senses. Only images.

She waited patiently for the light blond elfling to look up only to once again stare into a familiar large pair of innocent blue eyes. He looked at her, his mouth moving to words she could not hear, and then he turned around, little arms swinging at his sides as he ran way from the stream.

The dense forest vanished, blinding white light taking over the shape of trees as they morphed into long, thin columns of an endless hall. The golden haired lady was there, arms open to catch the smiling Legolas as he flung himself to her. Golden hair shone under the bright light as the lady pressed a kiss to her squealing son's forehead. Elerrina only watched, once again caught in the familiar scene, waiting for her presence to be acknowledged.

Another figure came into view, new to the scene she had witnessed before. A tall elf stood beside the golden haired lady, long, light blond hair falling over his shoulders and back, framing the fair features of a pale face. He was dressed in an elegant olive green robe, embroidered in silver and gold, and a delicate silver crown rested atop his head in she shape of leaves. She watched as the regal looking elf slid one arm around the lady's waist, and froze as his face turned to look in her direction.

His features were of the fairest she had ever seen, and his resemblance to Legolas was undeniable, but what struck her the most was the enchanting pair of ice blue eyes that seemed to swallow her into their endless depths, infinite and wise, seeming capable of seeing beyond her eyes and into her thoughts, powerful magic trapped inside his ice blue stare…

Elerrina blinked twice as she abruptly woke up. She was lying on her side on the ground, Elladan's arm wrapped loosely around her middle and her back pressed to his chest. He had stayed. His warm breath fell lightly on the skin of her neck; making small shivers sun down her spine with each breath he took. She did not need to turn around to know he was awake. She turned over in his arms to face him, her green eyes meeting his liquid silver ones instantly. He had not slept this night either; she could see it in his tired eyes.

"How do you feel?" He asked in a soft whisper, his eyes looking worriedly into hers.

"I feel fine" She answered truthfully. The pain inside her head had completely disappeared, and she felt well rested, the loud voice and splitting pain only a memory that remained fresh inside her mind.

Slowly, she sat up on the ground, Elladan imitating her at her side, taking her hand in his and caressing the back of it softly with his thumb. Dawn was breaking above the dense foliage of the forest, the pink light reducing the yellowing color of the leaves to a murky shade of purple. Paying attention to her surroundings for the first time, she noticed that they had not camped on the same place they previously had. They were travelling slower now.

She could see Elrohir sitting on the opposite side of the camp, next to Glorfindel, both elves looking down at the still figure of the Elf-Lord. Some of the elves had already awakened and started to ready their horses, while others remained fast asleep, lying around the ashen remains of the dead fire.

"Has anything changed?" She asked as she turned her gaze to meet his. His silver eyes had not turned away from her, fearful, worried, as if she were made of crystal and were about to fall and shatter in a million pieces.

"No" was his soft reply. She turned her gaze away towards the place where the Elf-Lord lay unconscious. She nearly gasped when Glorfindel's eyes looked up to meet hers, soft blue irises staring at her for a long moment before he stood and started to make his way towards where she sat.

"How are you feeling, Elerrina?" asked the golden haired warrior as he sat on the ground across from her and Elladan.

"I am fine" She replied again, and the Balrog Slayer simply nodded in response.

"What happened yesterday? Did you see what attacked you?" came the dreaded question. The voice was kind, gentle, as he demanded for an answer. She looked into Glorfindel's blue eyes for a moment, unable to look away or deny an answer.

"No" She answered in a low voice, as Glorfindel's eyes continued to pierce her. "I could not see anything, I could only hear a voice." Once again the golden haired warrior nodded in reply before questioning her again.

"What did it tell you? Did you say anything in return?" She could feel the thread of urgency and seriousness hidden in his gentle voice as his eyes looked wary now. She knew exactly what he was thinking, what worried him the most: if she had revealed Vilya. Elrohir's silver eyes were fixed on them from the other side of the camp, although she was sure he could not hear their whispered words.

"It asked for my name. It kept asking who I was, tried to break into my mind to get the answer. I did not say anything, I could not think straight, the pain did not let me think." She received another nod from Glorfindel as the look in his eyes softened a little, somewhat relieved at the information she gave him.

"So, the attacker did not know who you were. He was not expecting to find you. This is the first time you experience a mental attack, I assume. Whoever it was, was not counting that the force of the attack would send you unconscious instead of allowing him to break into your mind. I believe he was expecting stronger defenses."

"Why would he attack her? Do you think whoever it was knows that she carries it?" She heard Elladan ask, his silver eyes looking directly into Glorfindel's soft blue ones. Neither one had, or would, mention the name of the ring outside of Imladris.

"I do not think so. Although I believe the attacker sensed its power, but could not tell from where it came. That, I think, was the cause of the attack. She does not wield it, but it remains awake. The connection she shares with it makes it impossible to distinguish her presence from its presence. It is as if it were a part of her. He might have thought she was the powerful one, hence the force of the attack."

"But the attacker never received an answer form her part" Added Elladan in a low voice, his silver eyes locked with Glorfindel's as they stared at each other in silence. She could feel Elladan's body tense slightly, and knew that his words were only the grasp hope he intended to hold on to.

"Elladan" said Glorfindel softly as his eyes looked intently into the elder twin, emphasizing his words as he spoke. She felt as if her presence had long been forgotten, being merely reduced to the subject of the conversation. "The attacker may not know of its existence, and he may not know who she is, but he now knows she exists. He knows there is a power."

The words floated gauntly in the air for long seconds, and she felt as if a death sentence had been given to her. She felt the memory of the haunting voice echo again inside her mind, asking for her name. Now more than ever she wanted to be back in the safe Valley, to have never come in the first place. Elrohir's gaze was fixed on her, silver eyes looking into hers intently from the distance, as if he knew exactly what had just been said.

Without another word, Glorfindel stood up and walked away under Elladan's cold silver glare. Suddenly, Vilya felt heavier, a burden hanging from her neck. She wanted to get rid of it, to throw it away, to never have been able to see it. But what scared her the most was the possibility of another mental attack. However, she did not let her fears show, as she remained still, her face a composed expression.

"Thank you for staying" she said in a low voice trying to deviate her thoughts from Glorfindel's words. Elladan turned to face her, offering her a small smile as he squeezed her hand lightly.

"Any time" he said as he leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"So…mice?" She teased him and he laughed lightly in return.

"So you did listen to me last night" was his reply as his tired silver eyes sparkled with their characteristic mischief, the worried expression replaced by a carefree grin for a short moment.

He rose to his feet, offering her a hand and pulling her up next to him. All the elves were awake by now, some already on their horses as the party prepared to depart once more. She could still feel Elladan's eyes fixed on her, as if she would disappear. His hand remained entwined with hers, and he would not let go.

The pink light of dawn had been replaced by the clear golden one of early morning as the Sun started its path through sky above them. The grey clouds from the day before still covered the sky, blocking the sunrays from fully illuminating the forest.

Elladan started to lead the way to where his horse waited, and out of the corner of her eyes, she watched how two elves carefully lifted Lord Elrond onto Glorfindel's mount, the Balrog Slayer securing a hand around his waist to prevent him from falling. She noticed Elladan's eyes turn in the direction of his father, and she could almost feel his pain washing through her body.

He jumped onto his horse in a graceful movement and offered her a hand to take. Seconds later she was being pulled onto the horse in front of him as his hands held on to the reins at either side of her.

"I hope that I am at the front because you enjoy my closeness and not because you believe I might fall off" She whispered playfully, turning her head to look at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Of course" he whispered in he ear as one of his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her closer to him as if to press his point. She could not help but laugh lightly as she turned her face back to the front.

She knew the reason why she was riding at the front, she could see it in the way he had been looking at her since she woke up; in the way he would not let go of her for even a second. Part of her felt irritated that he did not believe she was fine, but she would ride wherever he wanted her to, if only to ease some of his worries. She had, after all, being unconscious for the most part of the ride the day before, leaning on him for support for she could not stay upright.

"I love you" he whispered, his breath tickling her ear as they started their slow march through the yellowing forest. She could hear the deep honesty in his voice, and she felt sudden warmth swell inside her chest as her lips curved up in a smile. She knew he loved her already. And that was all that mattered to her.

The march through the forest was slow, careful attention seemed to be paid not to move the Elf-Lord too much. She also noticed that they rode in a different formation that they previously had: Glorfindel was at the center, carrying Lord Elrond's limp form, and the other elves rode in a loose circle around them. Everyone seemed alert, eyes looking from side to side, almost as if expecting a surprise ambush to be waiting for them.

She caught a glimpse of Legolas somewhere to her left, and immediately looked away, the images form her dream flashing in front of her eyes. She saw the tall, blond elf, standing next to the lady and the elfling, the silver crown atop his head reflecting the blinding white light as his ice blue eyes stared into her.

She knew who the elf was, but could not force her mind to realize it. He was the king. Legolas' father. Her father. Thranduil was his name, she remembered reading it in his elegant signature on the letters he had written about her. Part of her mind refused to believe it, choosing to see him as the strange elf in her dream, and she knew exactly why: because he was alive. He was alive and breathing in that exact moment, somewhere far away from she was. She no longer had a mother, but she did have a father, even if she did not know him.

Elerrina closed her eyes for a moment, trying to block away the image of the regal elf staring at her, but to no avail. It made her feel nervous, guilty that she did not love him. Everything felt so unreal. Elladan had remained silent behind her, and she could feel his eyes turn to his father every once in a while, in perfect synchronization with his twin.

She did not know for how long they had been riding when she started to feel raindrops landing on her head and shoulders. They started slow, a long lapse between one drop and the next, but seconds later they fell simultaneously, running down her hair and body, drenching every single elf in the party.

With one hand, she placed the hood of her cloak over her head, as did all the other elves, but felt that the protection it offered was almost inexistent. The sound of the rain felt like a soft lullaby accompanying the silent march, soothing against the troubled minds.

A soft moan escaped the lips of the Elf-Lord and she felt Elladan instantly turn his head in his direction. She also turned around, finding the other twin's gaze already fixed on his father's still form.

"My Lord? Can you hear me?" She heard Glorfindel ask in a soft voice, as his eyes look down at the unconscious elf in his arms. She felt her heart accelerate, longing to see the Elf-Lords grey eyes flutter open. But no response came as Lord Elrond became silent once more, remaining limp in front of his Seneschal.

She heard Elladan sigh silently in frustration, his eyes never leaving his father, and felt a pang of guilt at her own concern for the Elf-Lord. Would she be as worried had the limp figure been her own father? The image of the tall king flashed once again in front of her eyes, wise ice blue eyes staring deeply into her, swallowing her into their infinity.

They continued to ride for more long hours. The cold autumn rain made her cloak stick to her body, and at the same time engulfed her in a comforting curtain that seemed to isolate her from the other elves around them.

Glorfindel's words from the morning kept dancing inside her mind. There had been a presence in the rocky clearing the day before and had attacked her, and more so, the presence had been in the same place they had found Lord Elrond. Not a single orc had yet crossed their path.

She heard Lord Elrond moan again and Glorfindel held up a hand in indications to stop. The elves started to one by one jump down from their horses, ready to establish another camp for the night. Her eyes remained glued on the still figure of the Elf-Lord, who stirred lightly, but did not yet wake.

Elladan jumped from the horse in a quick movement, gently helping her down before turning around and rushing to Glorfindel. She remained still, standing besides Elladan's horse as she watched the Balrog Slayer carefully lower the Elf-Lord to the elder twin's waiting arms before dismounting. Elrohir had already joined them, as well as some other elves from the party who exchanged some elvish words.

"Is he awake?" Legolas' voice pulled out of her trance as she turned around to meet his infinite blue eyes. The rain had slowly started to die down, leaving a heavy cloud of humidity floating in the air. Night had already fallen, the whole day obscured by the heavy canvas of grey clouds.

She shook her head as an answer as she turned her eyes once more to the twins and Glorfindel. Lord Elrond had been lowered to the ground on his back, his head resting on Elrohir's lap as the younger twin softly stroked his wet strands of dark hair. Elladan was kneeling next to his twin, his eyes never leaving his father's figure.

She felt Legolas grab her gently by the arm, guiding them both to a place where they could get a closer view, but choosing to stay on the side. Another moan escaped the Elf-Lord's lips as he stirred once again.

"Ada? Can you hear me?" Elrohir said softly, producing another moan in reply. Elladan took the Elf-Lord's hand in his as he leaned closer, Glorfindel kneeling at his other side.

"Ada?" She heard Elladan ask and Lord Elrond moaned again in reply. The twins exchanged a relieved look before directing their gazes back to their father.

"Elrond, open your eyes." Came Glorfindel's gentle command as he leaned closer.

Slowly, the Elf-Lord's eyes fluttered open, blinking twince as they tried to focus on the elves surrounding him. Elerrina let out a sigh of relief and her heart calmed down as she saw the relieved smiles that appeared in both of the twins' faces. The Elf-Lord shut his eyes again as his left hand weakly reached to his forehead. Elrohir turned to look at one of the elves standing next to him, and the elf immediately nodded his head and walked towards where some other elves had already unpacked the healing supplies.

"It is good to have you back" She heard Glorfindel say with a smile as he looked down at his friend. Elrond dropped his hand back to his side and blinked a couple of more times, his silver eyes dazed and confused.

"You have been out for quite a while, Ada" said Elladan in a soothing tone, also with a relieved smile on his face as he gently squeezed his father's hand. The Elf-Lord's eyes turned to look at his son, confused as he focused on the elder twin's face. He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the disorientation and confusion never left the silver irises.

"My Lord?" asked Glorfindel still smiling softly, waiting for the Elf-Lord to say something. Lord Elrond turned his eyes again in the direction of the Balrog Slayer, the silver orbs disoriented as they traveled over the golden haired warrior's face, carefully studying every single feature, trying to focus.

"Elrond?" Glorfindel's smile vanished as his expression turned worried now, blue eyes fixed on the silver ones of his Lord. Elerrina felt herself freeze as she watched both of the twin's smiles also disappear. Every elf seemed frozen as they all watched attentively.

"Ada?" The Elf-Lord's eyes turned to Elladan, equally confused and dazed as he studied his firstborn's face. "Ada? It is me, Elladan." Again no reply.

"Elrond?" said Glorfindel again, his tone concerned. The Elf-Lord turned his gaze to him once again, but no reply came as his confused eyes studied his friend's face for the second time.

"My Lord, do you know who I am?" Elerrina felt her heart stop as the golden haired warrior voiced the question everyone had been dreading to hear. She held her breath as the Elf-Lords eyes turned again to look at his elder son before returning to look at his Seneschal for long seconds, confused, unfocused, as he processed the question that had just been asked him.

The air seemed to go cold and heavy as the Lord of Imladris slowly shook his head from side to side. No. Everything seemed to stop as shocked expressions took hold of every elf's face. Elrohir tensed. Elladan rose to his feet, lips pressed in a thin line, his silver eyes cold, angered. Abruptly, he turned around and strode away, walking past her.

"Elladan.." She said hopelessly as she gently grabbed him by the arm, but he glared at her fiercely and shook her hand away with a strong movement of his arm before continuing past her and fading into the dense forest.

She remained still, too shocked to move as she felt her throat start to tighten.

"Ada?" She heard Elrohir keep trying, his voice broken, hopeless. "Ada, Do you not recognize me?"

Here is chapter 32! Sorry for the wait, once again I had a crazy week. Please let me know what you think!

Lots of Love, 

Alohomora92


	32. Wach It Pour

Everything seemed distant, like dazed, cold images, as Elerrina remained rooted to the ground. Silence floated in the air like a deathly ghost as every elf seemed to have ceased breathing for a moment. She could not move. Could not speak. The trees rocked dully to the chilled breeze, their dark leaves producing no sound as they swayed in the hollow waltz.

"Ada?" Came Elrohir's despaired plea, a whisper carried in the grasp of the cold breeze. She watched the Elf-Lord's grey eyes try to focus again, but the foggy, tired gaze held no signs of recognition.

Elerrina felt her heart ache, as her insides appeared to constrict, her throat so tight it felt hard to breathe. It felt as if her chest had suddenly been pressed too tight and she felt hopeless, despaired, an indescribable feeling of pain and sorrow taking hold of her. And yet, she knew these emotions were not caused by her own body when they disappeared a second after they arrived, as if the owner had repressed them and stored them inside.

"Elrohir" She heard Glorfindel whisper lowly as his pained soft blue eyes threw a sympathetic look at the younger twin while he shook his head slightly. Pained silver eyes met the Balrog Slayer's steady gaze and Elrohir finally seemed to give up his despaired pleas, unwillingly understanding that his father was not going to recognize him at the moment.

The Elf-Lord's eyes hid again under heavy eyelids and an exhausted sigh left his lips as his left hand traveled once more to rest on his forehead. A dark haired elf walked forward and handed Elrohir a cup filled with steaming liquid. No words were exchanged as the elf quickly returned to stand some distance away.

Elerrina turned her head to her right, eyes lost in the spot in which Elladan's figure had vanished among the dark trees. It had been his emotions the ones she had felt run through her only a few seconds ago, and she was sure about it. She felt useless, merely another breathing body in this lifeless night.

The pale traces of moonlight battled almost indifferently against the heavy canvas of grey clouds, like white ghosts penetrating dimly into the atmosphere. It was cold and humid, and yet no elf moved to make a fire, the vivid roar of the red flames seeming like a comfort they did not deserve.

Turning her head once more, she found that Elf-Lord appeared to have succumbed into unconsciousness once again. The iced look on Elrohir's eyes sent shivers down her spine. His face was expressionless, empty, and yet his eyes were hard, focused into nothing in particular, cold and hostile. The same look that she had seen in Elladan's eyes.

She watched, unable to move, as Glorfindel moved to sit next to Elrohir, resting one hand over his shoulder in a comforting gesture. She had known that the golden haired warrior was a second father figure for the twins, and it made her heart clench when she saw the younger twin bitterly pull away from the Balrog Slayer's touch, his grey eyes darkened with anger.

Without thinking what she was doing, Elerrina turned around, her feet leading her purposely towards the forest, following the path Elladan had taken. She did not know what she was doing, but she could not simply stay and watch the hard, cold look in Elrohir's eyes, knowing that they were only a mirror image of Elladan's own expression.

She felt Glorfindel's eyes on her, and threw one last look at his direction. Dark green eyes met a deep pair of soft blue ones, gazing at her intently, the expression on his face unreadable. She almost expected him to stop her, as he had done before, but he did not say anything. Wordlessly, she turned her gaze away from him, and to the forest ahead, and continued her march into the darkness of the silent trees, away from Legolas, from Elrohir, from the Elf-Lord, from all the other elves.

Elerrina did not turn around as her feet kept leading her through the darkness. The air was cold and hollow, the trees muted under the pale moonlight. The soft crunching of the fallen leaves as her feet fell over them was the only sound that reached her ears as she continued forward, not knowing her destination.

Somehow, the empty silence of the sleeping forest felt comforting, and at the same time terrifying. The chilled breeze embraced her in its gentle grasp as she kept walking, searching for Elladan through their weak bond. Her brain kept telling her to return while she still remembered the way back, but her body had long ceased to obey her logical mind.

She froze when she found him standing still next to a tall tree trunk, his back to her, unmoving. She watched petrified at his still form, his long, dark hair contrasting sharply with his pale skin and light blue cloak, shimmering in dim sparkles of silver under the ghostly moonlight. He was standing at a considerable distance from her, and yet she knew that he had heard her approach, he knew she was there.

She did not know what to do, what to say as she simply waited for him to act first. She could not force her feet to move forward, feeling the she would break an invisible barrier that held him in his private solitude. He had not wanted to be followed, she knew that, and yet, she could not leave him alone. Long moments passed in dead silence, but he did not turn, did not move, almost as if he did not know she was there.

"Elladan?" She heard her shaky, hesitant voice leave her lips, the sound echoing in the trees. It caused no reaction from his part. Not knowing from where her will came from, Elerrina felt herself take a couple of steps forward, slowly, until she was standing right behind him.

She had expected him to be angry with her, to snap at her, to yell, to tell her to go away, anything but what he was doing. His cold silence felt heavier than any hurtful word. Standing closer to him, she could see his body slightly trembling, out of ire no doubt.

"Elladan?" She whispered again, her voice low, soothing, but it seemed as though he had not heard her. Slowly, she walked to stand beside him, her eyes looking for his, longing for his gaze to meet hers, but he did not look. His silver eyes were hard, bitter and ice cold, filled with pure hatred as they stared emptily at the distance. Those were not the eyes she had come to love. They seemed lifeless, incapable of joy, resentful.

"Elladan? Will you look at me?" She tried again in a soft, nearly broken voice. Her hand reaching up to touch him, but stopping in along the way, dreading the reaction it could cause.

Once again, no answer. She saw his trembling intensify at her words, but he did not move, not even blinked. His lips remained pressed together in a thin line, his jaw tensed and his fists clenched into tight balls. She searched his face; her eyes noticing the weak silver shimmer of unshed tears starting to form in his eyes, threatening to fall as he struggled to keep his composure.

"Elladan, please" She breathed, her voice a pained plea while her eyes looked at him, her heart shattering to pieces inside her chest. She saw him swallow, but continued to ignore her, his lips quivering faintly as he held back the tears.

She wanted to hold him, to soothe him in his pain the same way he had comforted her, but he would not let her. She would not touch him without his consent, even if it pained her greatly. Elerrina felt a lump in her throat as the first tear ran down his right cheek, tracing a frail, wet path upon his pale skin before falling from his chin.

He was shaking harder now, unable to contain himself any longer, and she knew that it was only causing him more anger. More pain. A second tear followed the first, this time in his left cheek, and after that they flowed freely down his face in complete silence.

She watched as he lifted a hand and angrily whipped away his cheeks, but every time he blinked, new tears rolled down his face. She felt useless, pained that he was ignoring her thus, refusing her comfort, refusing to share in his pain. He was trembling hard now, his breathing shaking with muted sobs that would not escape his pressed lips. Slowly, she reached her had up once again, gently, hesitantly as she tested if he would let her touch him.

"Elladan?" She whispered, almost inaudibly, as her hand carefully came in contact with his arm.

The reaction was immediate, knocking her breath away when he suddenly turned around and wrapped his arms around her, collapsing onto her while he buried his face in her golden locks of hair. Her heart broke and she too wrapped her arms around him, holding him with all of her strength, as if life itself depending on it, she would not let go. She felt his body shake with sobs that now escaped shamelessly from his lips, finally giving up all of his defenses. She held tighter, feeling her own eyes swell with tears. No words left her mouth, and no words were needed.

Elerrina felt a barrier be suddenly lifted from around him as she felt a hurricane of emotions shake her body. She felt his anguish, his despair, his deep pain and sorrow, frustration, anger, hatred. All of them swirling through her as he reach for her through their bond, letting her in completely. And she welcomed them; she let herself share in all of his pain reaching to him to offer comfort even if it resulted almost inexistent. Her hands gripped to his body with a force she did not know she had, she would not let anyone come near him that night.

She understood his anger, his sudden hostiles reactions at such situations, his coldness that seemed to communicate that he did not care. He did care. And it was slowly destroying him, as well as it was Elrohir. Even the strongest ones had a breaking point.

"You screamed" She heard him say between chocked sobs as he held tight to her body. "You screamed…and tossed around… and I… I could not…. could not…do anything"

She felt tears now stream silently down her cheeks as she heard him tell her about her mind attack, about what had been bothering him the entire day.

"We tried… I tried…to call you back…. but…" He trailed off and she tightened her hold on him, at a complete loss of words. Her head was pressed to his chest and one of his hands travelled to the back of her head, pulling her to him while he rested a wet cheek to her temple.

"And now…he…" He started, but the words seemed to die before they left his lips and he fell silent again. She did not need to hear the words. She knew exactly what he was feeling, she felt his utter despair at a world that seemed to be crumbling to pieces around him, and he could do nothing about it, neither could he do anything to fix it.

The dark clouds had finally cleared form the sky, and the pale moonlight fell upon them brighter now, like a comforting silver blanket in the darkness of the night. Long hours passed while they held each other, but she could not tell, she had completely lost track of time. Despaired sobs continued to wrack his body as she held him tight. She wondered for how long had he held his tears? How long had he repressed his pain? How long had all of these emotions battled to be freed?

Slowly, Elladan's crying quieted down to soft sobs as he breathed unevenly, his eyes long ago dried out of tears. She felt his body continue to shake , and also suddenly noticed that his skin was ice cold to her touch, making her doubt if his shaking was due to crying or cold.

"Elladan, you are freezing" She breathed out and one of her hands reached up to touch his cheek as he gently pulled away from her to look at her in the eyes for the first time in that night. He was exhausted; she knew that he had not slept in the past two nights, which only added strength to his frustration and despair.

The soft skin under her palm felt like ice as her eyes looked deeply into his sad silver ones, delineated with red from crying. His cheeks were stained with the dried path of dead tears, and she could feel that her own cheeks looked the same at the moment.

He placed his hand over hers on his cheek and she could also feel that his hand felt incredibly cold. The night was a cold one, and they both were still damp from the rainy afternoon, but her skin did not feel nearly as cold as his. In fact, the cold did not affect her, but she could see that he was shivering slightly. She took both of his hands in hers, trying to warm them up with her own.

"Why are you so cold?" She whispered as her green eyes searched into his, concerned. His face was expressionless, empty, as if all of his emotions had been drained out of his body, leaving only an exhausted carcass after his tears had washed away all the life in him.

"Because it is cold" Was his answer, his voice low and tired as his eyes looked directly into hers. "And because I am a Half-Elf"

She did not reply, but merely held his hands tighter, trying to warm them. Of course. She had forgotten that detail. She knew that the twins were Half-Elves, as well as the Elf-Lord, thus the answer did not came as a surprise to her. What surprised her was the realization that he was affected by the cold.

"Let us go back" She said gently, never breaking his gaze. "Perhaps they have started a fire that can warm you up."

"No" He whispered in return. "I want to stay here" The words were barely audible as his tired eyes kept looking at her. She nodded her head silently, letting herself free fall into his seemingly empty silver eyes, reaching him in a way she never had before, as if his soul was connected to her, and she knew that they had both let the other into them, sealing a bond that felt strong now, nearly unbreakable.

" At least take off your cloak, it is soaked in cold water" She asked softly and felt her insides grow heavy as his silver eyes turned to eye the cloak that hung around his shoulders, the look distant, unfocused on reality.

She reached her own hands to his chest and released the silver pin that secured the cloak together, lifting the wet garment from his shoulders, but he did not seem to notice.

Wordlessly, he sat on the hard ground, his eyes staring off into the distance. She followed him and lowered herself next to him, her eyes locked in his empty face. Without turning to look at her, she felt him take her hand in his, gently lifting it to his lips and pressing a light kiss on the back of it. His face then turned to look at her, his eyes sad, yet loving, holding a look she had never seen in them before.

Gently, she pulled him down until he was lying on the ground, his head cradled on her lap. He did not object, did not say anything, almost as if nothing mattered to him any longer. She watched him close his eyes as she softly stroked his hair, his breathing coming out even and calmed now. She could feel his sorrow, the weight of his grief and responsibilities, and at the same time knew that he was exhausted and would sooner or latter succumb to the well-needed sleep.

The trees swayed again to the cold breeze, their leaves dancing in silence above their heads as the moon continued its slow path through the dark blue sky. Elladan had fallen into a deep sleep, away from his despair and anger, and Elerrina continued to stroke his silky strands of dark hair softly. She did not feel tired, she would not sleep. This night she would simply watch over him, hoping that the sunrise would bring a brighter day for everyone.


	33. Cold Grasp of Fright

The night was cold and silent as Elerrina quietly sat under the dense canopy of the sleeping trees. It must have been past midnight, but she was not sure for how many hours she had sat on the ground. She was only sure that dawn would not come for at least some more hours.

Elladan lay fast asleep, his head resting on her lap while she softly stroked his long, dark strands of hair. Her hand moved automatically now and her eyes could not depart from the fine features of his relaxed face; from his chest rising and falling gently with his even breaths; from his silver eyes, glazed while lost in his peaceful sleep. And yet, her mind had long ago drifted off into a different time and space, the quiet solitude providing no distraction from her thoughts.

She thought of Vilya, silent for the moment, its presence almost unnoticed to her now as it hung around her neck. What kind of power did that simple blue-stoned ring carried in it? Such a little thing, and such a strong power, as if it had its own mind. Her thoughts also drifted back to the Elf-Lord. Did he remember the ring? What would happen if he did not? There was more than one ring like Vilya; Glorfindel had mentioned it to her. Where were those rings? How many more?

And what about her? Why could she see Vilya? Why was Vilya awake when she held it? She was not wearing it. She was not its master. She did not wield it. Would the same happen with the other rings? Would she also be connected to the other rings master's minds, like she was to Lord Elrond's? Would her mind link with the Elf-Lord still function even if he did not remember the ring or her?

Her trail of thought was cut by a soft, cold breeze that brushed away some strands of her golden hair, feeling like iced hands that caressed her skin. A shiver ran down her spine as she was suddenly struck with a heavy feeling of fear, her hand abruptly stopping its gentle movement through Elladan's hair. She felt uneasy, but she did not know why, there was no apparent reason for her sudden terror.

It was quiet. Way too quiet. The trees had fallen silent around her; the constant calming wind of the night had ceased to waltz along the swaying leaves. There was no sound, not the cracking of a branch, not the cries of a night owl, no nothing, except for the hard pounding of her heart inside her chest, and Elladan's steady breathing. She looked around her, eyes wide and almost expecting to find someone behind her, but there was nobody. She could see nothing but silent trees, fading into the dark shadows of the moonlit forest that seemed to expand infinitely to her sides.

She felt cold, an iced chill embracing her body as the air suddenly seemed haunted. Terror was slowly taking possession of her, the cold, mixed with the fear, causing a sensation she had never felt before, and desperately wanted to escape. She was frozen, petrified, as she felt her heart drumming on her throat.

Elladan blinked suddenly, abruptly waking up from his deep sleep. His eyes quickly turned to look up at her as his body tensed, unmoving. His eyes looked alert, warning, narrowed in concentration as they traveled to the sides, searching through the dark tree trunks.

She felt the blood be drained form her body as she saw a new emotion appear in his vigilant silver eyes: fear. Clear, horrifying fear plagued his eyes, now wide as they returned to meet her own terrified green ones.

She did not utter a sound, his silence setting the example. She would not have been able to speak even if she had wanted to. The most powerful terror she had ever felt swept through her at the sight of his fearful eyes. Something was definitely amiss.

A current of wind ran through the forest, lifting away some of the fallen leaves that laid on the ground and sprawling them to the sides lifelessly. The wind was cold, but a different kind of coldness than any she had ever felt before. This one felt horrifying, like the coldness of thousands of lurking spirits caressing her face and body, making every single drop of warmth disappear. Vilya let out a warning cry, now whispering loudly in her mind.

She trembled, unable to contain herself. Elladan suddenly sat up, his body tensed and his eyes looking intently in the direction in which the wind had come from, watching and listening carefully.

She moved closer to him, feeling safer and more protected the closest she was to his body. Instinctively, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders, but his eyes kept looking from left to right, his senses sharp.

Another haunted, chilled wind followed the first one, this time sending tremors down her spine as she hear a distant, blood curling, high-pitch cry carried faintly in its cold grasp. Elladan jumped to his feet in a heartbeat, quickly pulling her up and grabbing her by the arm.

"We have to go" He breathed out fast in a low whisper as he started to drag her away, moving frantically away form the direction of the wind. Her first thought was orcs that were coming for them in an ambush, but she quickly discarded that possibility. Elladan was scared, probably as much as her, and she knew that orcs did not cause him this kind of fear.

His feet moved agilely through the uneven forest ground as he zigzagged between the trees, dragging her deeper into its darkness. She tripped and stumbled, but his firm grip prevented her from falling or staying behind as he pulled her along, his eyes frantically searching around, as if he did not know where exactly he was going.

The cold wind returned, this time the frightening, haunted cry clearly hearable in the air. A terrified whimper escaped her lips as she felt her heart drum louder inside her chest.

Elladan suddenly turned left, stopping in front of some dark bushes. Without loosening his tight grip on her upper arm, he guided her inside, crawling into the dark shelter created by the thin branches. She felt some branches hit her face scratching her cheeks and arms, but continued forward until she felt Elladan pull her down to the ground.

She sat down, curled in a ball as she pressed herself close to him, desperately seeking to feel protected. He pulled his legs close to his body, and wrapped both of his arms tightly around her. One of his hands flew to her mouth, covering it firmly as his alarmed eyes turned to look into hers, pools of liquid silver silently warning her to remain completely still, completely quiet. She held her breath, her body going completely numb, frozen in cold fear.

And then she heard it. Soft, frightening sounds of horseshoes falling over the leaf-covered ground, slowly approaching, gradually coming closer and closer. The air felt dead around her, a cold grip taking hold of her as she felt as if death itself had come to claim her. Her hand gripped tighter to hem of Elladan's tunic, her nails digging into his skin. He did not move, like a statue made of cold stone as he watched.

The dark silhouette of a black horse slowly became visible through the tight branches of the bush sheltering the two of them. A cold aura surrounded it and she felt blood being drained form her body as a thin layer of cold sweat covered her forehead. She could see the condensing breath of the horse as it took a couple of slow steps closer to them, now standing directly in front of them so that she could see its entire profile.

A mysterious rider sat on he horse's back, its entire form covered in weightless dark cloak, the tenebrous fabric swirling gauntly at a nonexistent wind, ripped and torn at the edges. Pointed, metal boots were the only visible thing that escaped the long black cloak, looking threatening, dangerous as they shone dully under the pale moonlight. A feeble fog seemed to surround the figure, spreading the dreadful sensation of hopelessness and doom that swallowed her soul at the moment.

The rider stopped, along with her heart, and the sudden silence fell heavy upon her, the only sound that reached her ears was the loud, raspy breathing of the cloaked figure. She knew it was nearly impossible for the rider to see them through the thick branches that sheltered them in the darkness. They were safely hidden, but somehow she did not feel safe.

She heard more horseshoes approaching slowly, and seconds later another black horse appeared next to the first, also carrying a frightening black cloaked rider. There were two.

The first one turned its head to the side, in the direction of the bush in which she and Elladan hid. She could see no face beyond the dark hood of the cloak. She could see nothing but a black emptiness. The figure turned its head again, looking at its companion. They seemed to be searching for something.

The silence was maddening. Her heart drummed so hard against her chest that she felt scared the riders would be able to hear it. Vilya continued to whisper loudly in her ears, ringing with high-pitches cries that only added more terror to her frightened mind. Could the riders hear the blue-stoned ring? Could they sense its presence?

Suddenly a sound echoed through the forest, like something moving among the leaves in the distance. Instantly, both of the riders turned their heads in the direction of the sound, another high-pitched haunted cry echoing through the air like the cold edges of a dagger inside her ears. Without a warning, they strode into a run, away from them and in the direction of the sound, the cold, hopeless aura disappearing with them.

Silence fell once again around them as the sound the galloping black horses drifted off in the distance. Neither of them spoke, neither moved. Elerrina felt herself shaking violently, covered in cold sweat while her heart continued to drum widely. Her nails were still digging holes into Elladan's skin as her hand gripped the neckline of his tunic with a force that could nearly rip the fine fabric. She felt pale, ill, as if her blood pressure had dropped to the ground. It felt hard to breathe, and the shapes in front of her eyes seemed to sway in circles.

A sudden wave of nausea hit her and she turned herself to the side, emptying the contents of her stomach. She felt Elladan's quick hands holding her hair back, pulling it out of the way. When she was done, she collapsed against his chest, her frame still shaking violently as he wrapped his arms around her, one hand rubbing circles on her back. She felt him sending her waves of calmness that washed through her body, but they hardly helped. His silver eyes remained lost to the front, still wide and shocked as no words were exchanged; the two of them still shaken from what they had just witnessed.

Finally Elladan moved, slowly crawling out of the bush while he carefully guided her along with him. The forest outside was quiet almost peacefully sleeping as they emerged from their shelter, now standing straight under the heavy canopy. She clung to Elladan's upper arm with both of her hands, her mind telling her that he was her source of protection should something happen.

Her eyes noticed four angry pink scratches on the skin just below his left collarbone, two of them bleeding slightly, marking the places where her four fingers had previously been. He had not seemed to notice it though as he looked attentively around them, making sure they were alone. Her eyes also caught sight of the light blue cloak held on his right hand. So he had picked it up to hide their track.

He turned to face her, his eyes staring deeply into hers, concerned. She let herself drown in the depths of his silver eyes, longing for an escape from her frightened self. Elerrina saw him narrow his eyes a little as they fell on her left cheek. Gentle fingers moved to her cheek as he carefully inspected the small cut that was there, caused by one of the branches in the bush while she rushed in. She had completely forgotten about it.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly as his eyes turned again to look into hers, looking worried. She almost wanted to laugh at the question, but was still too shaken to produce any sort of sound. Slowly, she shook her head from side to side while her hands still clung to his arm.

"What kind of a question is that?" She had meant to snap the words a t him, but her voice came out as a barely audible shaky sound. He sighed, visibly relaxed to hear her speak.

"I am sorry" He said as he rubbed her arm soothingly. "Come, I will clean that cut back at the camp. We need to leave for Imladris as soon as possible." She noticed that a new kind of worry stained his musical voice.

Unable to find her voice again, Elerrina simply nodded her head shakily, and allowed him to guide the way back, walking slowly through the dark forest. She was still clinging to him, seeking to be as close to his body as possible and she could feel him sending waves of calmness in her direction. Her eyes would turn from left to right every two seconds, afraid that they would encounter another of those black-cloaked riders by surprise. She was on the edge of her nerves.

A branch suddenly cracked to her right and Elerrina jumped abruptly. A short high-pitched cry threatened to escape her lips, but she felt Elladan's hand silence it before it was pronounced. She slammed herself against Elladan's body in frightened surprise. He also jumped surprised by her sudden reaction, and she saw his head quickly turn around, searching for the cause.

"It is a squirrel." She heard him whisper softly to her followed by his musical laugh. "It is a squirrel, Rina" One of his hands gently rubbed her back while she sighed in relief, her heart still drumming rapidly.

"I hate squirrels" she whispered in a shaky voice, still not letting go of him. She needed him, needed to hold tight to him, to loose herself in his scent. He chuckled again at her words.

"Since when?" He asked as he tightened her hold on her, pulling her closer in a comforting embrace as more waves of calmness were sent her way.

"Since now" He chuckled again lightly as he shook his head, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. Taking in a calming breath, she loosed her hold on him slightly, allowing him to continue leading them through the forest.

She desperately wanted to be back with the rest of the elves, the number of them making her feel more secure. She could not comprehend why she was so afraid, she did not even know what that dark figure in the horse was. She was only sure of one thing: the riders were dangerous enough for Elladan to be so alarmed.

"Elrohir comes. Do not jump," He whispered to her, and she felt grateful that he was avoiding a surprise.

Not a second after, she saw the figure of the younger twin emerge from the darkness of the forest a couple of steps to their left. His face seemed petrified as his silver eyes looked directly at Elladan, wide, fearful and worried: the same look that Elladan's own eyes had held only seconds ago. He rushed to them in long strides, stopping in front of his twin brother. Somehow she felt safer now in the presence of both twins.

"You saw them?" Asked Elladan in low voice, speaking fast, the words rushed. Silver eyes met silver, locked in a stare that seemed to communicate more than what the words let to know.

"Yes. Two of them. How many did you see?" Elrohir's tone sounded as worried as Elladan's, and she could feel the urgency in their words.

"Two. And I wish to believe they were the same two and not that there are four" Elrohir nodded his head in reply to his twin as his grey eyes turned to look in her direction for the first time. He reached a hand and gently squeezed her arm in a comforting gesture before looking up back to Elladan.

"We need to depart instantly," said Elladan in fast whisper. "If we stay here longer, they will eventually find us. We are too many to be able to hide for the night." She knew he was referring to entire party of elves she had nearly forgotten about.

"We have to alert everyone" was Elrohir's reply and he stood to her other side as they reassumed their fast walk towards the camping place, making her feel secure, standing between the two mirror images.

"Do not worry, Rina. I will not let any squirrel attack you." Elrohir said in playful tone as he mocked her, and at the same time, succeeded in easing some of her fear. She turned to glare at Elladan who acted as though he had not heard anything.

"You told him!" She hissed as her eyes threw him a deathly stare.

"It slipped" he said softly as his excuse. Elerrina only threw him one last glare before turning again to the front. She was still holding tightly to him, and he welcomed her, his eyes turning to look at her every two steps, making sure she was fine.

It did not take them long to reach the place where the rest of the elves had improvised a camping place. No fire burned that night, and she now realized how lucky they had been that nobody decided to start one, for they remained sheltered by the silent darkness.

Glorfindel's head snapped up in their direction from the other side of the camp, his eyes instantly locking with the twin's silver ones. She saw him jump to his feet and walk fast in their direction, meeting them halfway, his soft blue eyes looking wary, alert, as if he knew something was incredibly wrong.

"Wake everyone" Elladan breathed out quickly, his wide eyes looking frantically into Glorfindel's. "We have to go now. There are two of the Nazgul close by, we just ran into them. It will not be long until they find us."

Glordinfel's eyes widened in surprise and she felt some of her fear return. She knew that it would result impossible to hide everyone, counting on the fact that they also had horses to hide.

"What?!" He said as he looked from one twin to the other. The Balrog Slayer quickly turned his head to look at another elf who was standing close to them, ordering with a simple look to do as the twins said. She saw the elf go pale, but quickly ran off, shaking every single elf awake.

"We are more than them, far more. We can try for a run back into the Valley, fight to hold them back if necessary. They will hear us, but perhaps we can outrun them, we are close to Imladris." Said Glorfindel rapidly, and both of the twins nodded in unison.

"Cross the river" Added Glorfindel as his eyes looked intently into the twins silver ones, making sure his words were being understood clearly.

Without another word, the golden haired warrior turned around and took off, rushing through the chaotic mass of elves who were busy jumping onto their horses, ready to depart in the next second. She felt the urgency in the air as every single elf moved with incredible speed, packing up supplies or readying their horses.

Elladan did not waste a second before guiding her through the camp in hurried steps, quickly finding his own horse in the hands of a dark haired elf who seemed to be waiting for him. She did not even look to see if Elrohir had moved or not.

"My Lord" said the elf quickly as he handed the reins to Elladan, bowing his head slightly.

"Thank you" was the reply, and the alert looking elf simply bowed his head lightly once more before rushing away to do something else. She did not fully understand what was happening around her, but there was no time to stop and think.

Elladan turned to face her, his hands grabbing her by the shoulders, giving them an encouraging squeeze as his eyes stared deeply into hers. His silver eyes trapped her in a long gaze as he reached to her, sending her a new kind of strength. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead before gracefully jumping on the back of the horse. Then, in a quick movement, he pulled her up behind him and she secured both of her arms tightly around his middle, pressing her face to his back, burying it in the soft fabric of his cloak.

Not even a second after she was sitting safely behind him, they started for a run. The other elves had already started to depart, horses rushing past them while others still waited for their owners to mount. She could not see clearly in the mess of running elves, could not spot Legolas, could not spot Elrohir. Only a tight group of horses that ran close together indicated where Glorfindel rode carrying the unconscious Elf-Lord in his arms, the elves ready to protect their Lord.

Suddenly a high-pitched cry echoed through the air, brought by a cold, skin crawling wind.


	34. The Ring of Air

The wind hit her face like sharp cold blades, tossing her hair widely around her, golden strands slapping aggressively at her cheeks, neck and back as they ran fast through the forest. The trees flew past them in a blur of branches and trunks as they maneuvered around them, trying to stay close to the rest of the party, which had started to separate in the chaos of the run, the narrow distance between the trees making it hard to stay together.

Her heart drummed on her chest, the hard beating matching the strong galloping of the horse as Elerrina tightened her hold on Elladan. She could see some of the elves riding to their sides, the figures like dark blurs that appeared and disappeared from her sight, cut every once in a while by the lean shapes of trees that blocked the view. She could not make out any faces, did not know where Legolas was, where Elrohir was. Even the tight group of elves that closely escorted Glorfindel and the unconscious Elf-Lord had been swallowed in the chaos of branches and leaves.

Elladan was leaning forward on the horse to ride faster, his silver eyes narrowed in concentration as his sharp reflexes guided the horse expertly through the labyrinth of trees, turning from left to right at the precise moment to avoid collision.

The air felt chilled, dangerous, as her body seemed to be guided by instinct instead of mind. The high pitched screech of the black-cloaked rider still echoed in the wind, liberating in her a kind of fear she had never felt before, a fear that seemed to sharpen every single one of her senses, making her feel more alert and awake than ever.

Her eyes kept moving from left to right, scanning the flying forest around them, frantically searching for any signs of the black horses, but every shape around them seemed to fade into infinite blackness. It was hard to make out any figure in their fast run, the galloping of the horses deafening her along with the ringing wind.

Vilya cried loudly inside her head, its whispers rising in volume until it became too difficult to ignore them, calling all of her attention. She desperately tried to escape them, to pull away form the loud cries in the strange tongue she could not understand. The blue stone shone brightly now, glowing in a vivid azure at her neck as it cried and screeched in her ears, the sounds merging with the raging wind, which appeared to speak in return.

Tension hung heavily in the air, as her heart drummed widely with anticipation, with maddening fear, but nothing had yet come. Darkness swirled around them, revealing nothing but the expected trees of the moonlit forest. However, the fact that no rider had yet crossed their path did nothing to calm her altered nerves. Had the riders really not found them yet? Or were they following without their notice?

Another cry echoed in the wild wind, sending cold shiver down her back as her head instantly turned in the direction of the sound. It sounded close, to their left, but her eyes found nothing than the dark trees, which flew by in a blur. Her hands gripped tighter to Elladan's middle, her cheek against the soft fabric of his cloak, her body pressed close to his as if her scared mind believed he carried an invisible shield that could protect her from any harm.

She heard Vilya cry out again, the sound so loud it seemed to ring inside her head with an indescribable force, blurring her vision for a moment as the high-pitched sound bounced inside her skull. She could feel it calling to her, whispering loudly, sending a strange sensation through her body, like a strange tingle running through her veins.

Another iced cry. Her heart paralyzed inside her chest. It sounded so close. Too close. She turned her head to the left, gazing slightly behind her and her eyes caught sight of a dark silhouette moving fast between the passing trees, coming in their direction. Elladan's head also moved quickly to gaze behind and she could see his silver eyes now alert, worried under the deep furrow of his brow.

She could see the feeble fog engulfing the rider as it moved with a ghostly appearance, the torn black cloak floating tenebrously around its figure. She could feel the cold, the hopelessness and emptiness that seemed to radiate from it, like haunted claws traveling in the cold air, grasping her arms, face and hair.

The entire forest seemed to have gone cold, darker than it had been seconds before. Dead leaves floated in the wild wind, sprawling to the sides, as the totality of her surrounding suddenly appeared to be lifeless. The trees had gone silent, like dead trunks of wood that stretched thin and frail towards the black expanse of night.

Elladan turned the horse to the left, jumping over some low bushes, away from the other elves they still had in their sight. He was leading them deeper in to the forest, expertly zigzagging through the trees, making her have to duck her head a couple to times to avoid some low branches.

Elerrina turned her head to glance back once more, only to find the rider following closely behind. It had also turned left. Her body went cold, her heart beating rapidly. The rider seemed to be following them, coming closer and closer.

They kept running fast, the foliage only a chaos around her as her eyes could not make out any of the shapes that flew past her. She knew Elladan was using the forest to their advantage for he knew the territory, maneuvering with perfect exactitude around the thick vegetation. However, the rider never fell behind. She could see it directly behind them now, slightly to their left, its dark, ghostly figure only obscured by the thick branches and tree trunks that squeezed in the way.

Seconds seemed to stretch and she felt as if her senses had accelerated to a point in which everything else appeared to go slow. The rider was almost parallel to them now, the black horse breathing fervently while its condensing breath seemed to threaten her, vanishing in the cold air, which was now heavy with despair and desolation.

Suddenly, a dark figure jumped ahead of them, to their right, making Elladan pull to the reins of the horse abruptly. A muted scream left her lips, her voice never leaving her mouth as the horse suddenly rose on its rear legs for a quick second, almost throwing her down before it sprang into a quick run again, turning sharply to evade collision.

Her already wild heart seemed to accelerate, if that was even possible, as she recognized that it was the second rider what had jumped at them in surprise. Her blood went cold inside her veins, pumping with inexplicable fierce through her body as they continued their despaired run, now flanked by two riders.

They were trapped to left and right, the black, beastly horses pressing close to them, almost touching them now. Cold seemed to emanate from their foggy black figures, the dark cloaks floating weightlessly, swirling like black vapor around their empty bodies. She could feel despair taking possession of her, all of her hopes vanishing as pure, iced fear swallowed her.

Vilya continued to screech, the loud noise ringing in her ears, pushing into her mind and almost blurring her vision again from the noise. She pulled away, her heart drumming insanely as she looked from left to right. She forced her eyes to focus, to think straight, but she could not concentrate on anything other than horrifying terror.

Elladan drew out his sword, holding it securely in his right hand, as he kept his eyes focused on the front. Realization struck her as her eyes caught sight of the silver sharp edges of the long sword, and suddenly she felt all of her security, the invisible protective shield she felt around him, vanish. Somehow she suddenly knew that the sword would be useless; that their only option was to run and escape.

Her fear suddenly disappeared, abruptly replaced by pure instincts and adrenaline.

She knew that Elladan would try his best to protect her, but at the same time she somehow understood that this time he could not protect her, he could not protect even himself. She did not know what the terrifying rider in the black cloak was, but suddenly she realized that this was an enemy Elladan could not fight. No one could protect her now.

Without a warning, Elladan pulled strongly at the reins of the horse, making her tighten her hold around his torso as not to fall off the horse. Their sudden stop had not been foreseen by the riders, who kept running for only a fragment of a second before imitating him. However, that fragment of a second was enough time for Elladan to guide the horse in a sharp turn to the right and spring back into a run, the riders following closely behind, but at least not trapping them now.

A low branch hit her right arm by the elbow, and she felt a sudden pain spread through her it like fire, burning from her shoulder to her fingers. She did not move, did not even flinch as she maintained her tight hold around Elladan.

She felt drops of a thick liquid falling over her arm and her eyes looked up quickly to find three deep red scratches over Elladan's right upper arm, marking the place where the same branch had hit him before hitting her. He had not seemed to notice as she saw him quickly throwing a glance behind at the approaching riders. She knew their advantage over the riders would not last long. They seemed to ride faster, catching up with them easily.

The dark silhouette of one of the riders started to appear in the periphery of her vision, to their left. They were once again flanking their sides, she noticed. Once again riding almost parallel to them, closing the small gap between them and pressing tight to their sides. Elladan's narrowed eyes move quickly from left to right, no doubt searching for a way out, his silver irises filled with transparent despair. There was no way out.

The rider to their left slowly turned its head in their direction and her body seemed to freeze. Her eyes could see nothing but black emptiness beyond the dark cloak; Nothing but a cold, black void, that seemed to suction her entirely, unable to look away.

Every second that passed in the presence of the riders made the cold increase around her, hopelessness swallowing her until she felt weak, as if it could drain life out of her body. She could feel Elladan also weakening through their bond, unable to escape the two nightmarish presences that seemed to trap them both in their cold, lifeless grasp.

Vilya's loud whispers echoed again inside her head, and she could not hear anything else. Every other sound disappeared, the wind hitting silently at her face, the horses mutedly galloping over the cold ground. Nothing reached her ears but the ring's loud cries in the strange tongue, calling to her. It did not want to be found. Could the riders see it? Did they know she carried it?

Suddenly, she caught sight a slight gleam of light in the forest ahead of them, a glittering surface that reflected the pale silver moonlight. Water. The River. It was only some feet away from them, if only they could hold on until then. She did not know why, but she felt that crossing the river was all they needed to do in order to be safe. It had been what Glorfindel had said.

She felt herself shanking now, her strength sucked by the cold, desolate aura of the riders. Elladan was also shaking, although slightly less than her, but she could feel his skin turning ice cold underneath the fine fabric of his tunic. His breathing seemed heavier now, labored against the cold grasp of the haunted air.

One of the riders slowly drew out a long sword, its sharp edges looking threatening under the pale gleam of the moon. Her heart stopped and her blood froze inside her veins. Her eyes seemed to watch petrified as the rider swung the blade in Elladan's direction, but the Son of Elrond was quick to react and a loud noise echoed when his sword met the rider's blade; a loud clash of metal hitting metal.

She felt his body shake with the force of the blow, but quickly readied himself to block yet another attempt from the rider. He was weak, and she knew it. She herself felt weaker by each passing second, a thin layer of cold sweat starting to form on her forehead.

The rider prepared to strike again, but this time she caught sight of the second rider, to their right, also drawing out a long, sharp blade. Her heart sunk to the ground as fear once again rushed through her body. Elladan could not do it. He could not fight both of riders. He moved his sword in a fast movement to block the third blow from the first rider, and she saw in horror the second rider preparing to swing the blade when Elladan was not watching.

Then everything seemed to freeze for a moment as something snapped inside of her. Instinct took over her body, completely abandoning her mind and rational thought.

She did not know what she was doing, or why she was doing it, but suddenly she stopped trying to ignore the Vilya's cries. Instead, she listened to it. She could feel its power flowing through her body as she welcomed the strange whispers into her mind. For the first time, she answered its calling, embracing her connection with it. The ring had already in various occasions broken to her mind, sending her visions, speaking to her. Why not reach to it willingly?

A strange warmth seemed to suddenly spread through her veins, like a burning fire as she felt Vilya's power swirling through her. She heard its loud cry like a hig-pitched ringing noise inside her skull as she felt her whole self suddenly merge with the ring's own mind. And, surprisingly, it felt natural.

The blue stoned ring whispered again, but this time she understood it, even if the words still sounded foreign to her. She could not understand the words, but could understand the message, for it seemed as if the ring's thoughts, were her thoughts, as if they shared one mind. There was no way of knowing if the ring was controlling her, or if she was controlling it. They were the same. She was the ring.

Everything around her suddenly felt different, so confusing. Every sound was gone, and her eyes appeared capable of seeing with an unimaginable precision, able to clearly see each tree trunk in detail as it flew past her with incredible speed.

The riders still flanked their sides, but she could see more than weightless black cloaks now. Beyond the vaporous black fabric, she could see the silvery white ghosts of men. They did not seem to be able to see her, although its faces continued to look in their direction.

The wind hit her face hardly, but it felt different now, it was not aggressive, but welcomed. She felt the wind suddenly seem as a force that gave her strength, speaking to her, dancing around her in a powerful current. It seemed to move at her will.

The second rider swung the sword in quick strong movement while Elladan was still busy blocking the first rider. She heard the loud noise of collision, so loud it seemed to deafen her, but noticed that the dark blade had never touched Elladan. Instead, it had crashed hardly against a strong wall of wild wind, the blade bouncing back with the force of the collision. The rider let out a high-pitched cry that joined Vilya's loud cry as both ghostly white faces turned to look in her direction. Their eyes were empty, like white wholes inside their skull-like faces, staring into her.

Then everything happened so fast she was not sure she could remember the sequence. She saw water splashing around them as the horses suddenly ran over shallow water, the wide river extending to their sides. The ghostly faces were still fixed on her as they reached the middle of the river. She did not know why but she had not expected them to attempt to cross it.

Then a loud noise reached her ears, and she saw a body of water rushing down the river, white shapes appearing and disappearing in it under the pale glow of the moon. She heard it crash on them, without giving them time to think, time to realize. She shut her eyes closed and tightened her hold on Elladan as the high-pitched cry of the riders echoed again through the air while their black figures were hit by the strong wall of water.

Yet, nothing hit her and she opened her eyes once more. She could see water splashing widely around her, blocking her vision, the crashing sound ringing in her ears, but it did not touch them. The wall of water seemed to move around them, blocked by a swirling wind that surrounded the two of them, sending the aggressive body of water flying in every direction as it approached them.

A second after, everything stopped. The water level lowered again as the river suddenly returned to its calmed, steady flow. The riders were gone, washed away by the current. Her strength vanished, Vilya going quiet once again as its presence left her mind, once more separating from her.

Her vision blurred and she felt here body sway slightly. The last thing she remembered seeing was a very familiar white horse standing at the riverbank, Glorfindel siting straight on its back. Lord Elrond sat in front of him, also straight up as his awake, piercing silver eyes stared deeply into hers…


	35. Sanctuary

Darkness covered her vision as her eyes remained hidden under heavy eyelids. Everything seemed so distant Elerrina was not even sure if she was awake or dreaming. Every sound, every smell, all seemed blurred and fuzzy, as she was barely aware of her surroundings, catching only bits and pieces of reality that filtered through the long lapses of empty blackness.

Pain pounding heavily inside her head: that was the only thing Elerrina was sure of feeling at the moment. Splitting pain drummed against the walls of her skull, behind her closed eyes, making everything else seem more confusing as she could not focus completely on anything other than the throbbing pain.

The faint, muffled echo of the slow pace of horses reached her ears, fading in the waves of confusing, incoherent thoughts that danced inside her mind. She could not grasp a concrete thought, and felt disoriented, not knowing where she was or the reason she was there.

Glimpses of the fierce body of water falling around her danced in front of her eyes, followed by the dark trees flying past her; Vilya screaming loudly; Elladan holding a sword. They were unfocused, distorted, and disappearing into darkness as she drifted in and out of unconsciousness.

The distant sound of horseshoes on the soft grass echoes again inside her head, mixing with the images from her unconscious dreams. She was leaning against someone, and could weakly feel the soft pace of a horse underneath her unresponsive body. She could not recognize who rode behind her. She could not even completely feel her body as it felt heavy, exhausted, and so far away from her limbs. She heard a faint moan escape her lips involuntarily, the sound barely reaching her ears.

"You are safe now. We are in Imladris" Came a soft whisper on he left ear, the words dancing inside her confused head in different order than they had been pronounced, and it took her a moment to make sense of them. Imladris…Safe… And then there was the gentle, sweet voice: Legolas.

Elerrina felt herself sink further against her brother's chest as she recognized who was holding her steadily on the back of the horse. Her eyes opened slowly, the bright light on the morning blinding her for a few seconds before cloudy, shapeless forms started to appear in her sight. She felt safe now that she knew she was leaning against Legolas. Legolas? She had been riding with Elladan. Where was he?

The figures around her were clouded, unfocused, but she could make out the foggy shapes of horses and elves, moving slowly around her. She could see Elrohir to her right, holding an unconscious Elladan in front of him. Her tired eyes could also make out the blurry shape of Glorfindel riding some distance ahead of them, the body of the Elf-Lord held limply in his arms, either asleep or unconscious again, she did not know.

She felt her eyelids star to close again, too heavy to keep them open any longer. The peaceful song of nearby waterfalls reached her ears like a soothing lullaby as the pointed arches and balconies of the houses became visible in the distance. She felt her body succumbing to exhaustion, and she did not fight it. She could feel the soothing breeze, smell the scent of humid land and fresh trees; she felt safe in the valley. Her vision turned black, and her senses slowly started to drift off once more. There was no need to stay awake…

Elerrina felt her senses slowly start to return to her. She was lying on a bed, feeling warm and comfortable under soft covers. The gentle music of the swaying leaves outside the windows reached her ears, and she could hear the light footsteps of someone moving around the room. The pain inside her head was now gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, shifting lightly under the warm covers of the bed. A familiar room came into view, lighted brightly by the sun outside: She was in her room. The pale lavender curtains had been left open, framing the view of the golden trees outside in the gardens, birds chirping on their delicate branches.

The familiar figure of a platinum haired elf moved around the room in front of her, placing something that looked like sheets on a drawer by the vanity. Elerrina watched silently as the elven maiden closed the drawer and turned around, stopping her movement when her morning sky eyes fell on her own green pair.

"My Lady, you are awake!" Excalimed Faelilla softly as her lips curved in a wide, bright smile. She could not help but smile widely in return at the elf she loved so deeply, and watched as the maiden made her way to stand at the edge of the bed.

"What is the hour?" she asked. She felt slightly confused, and did not know what had happened since her arrival at the valley. Faelilla smiled again before answering in her musical light voice.

"It is late in the morning" Elerrina furrow her brow in confusion and Faelilla's bell-like laugh filled the room before she continued.

"You arrived here early morning two days ago" She felt her eyes widen in response to Faelilla's words. Two days. She had been out for two entire days. Then Faelilla's sweet smile transformed into a grin as her light blue eyes sparkled teasingly.

"Lord Elladan has been here every hour of the past days, since he awoke. Anyone would believe that you have truly captivated him" The platinum haired elf's eyes sparkled below a raised eyebrow, and Elerrina could not help but grin guiltily. Faelilla laughed again, the sweet sound making her feel content.

"Our young lord cares about you deeply, My Lady." Faelilla continued with an honest smile on her face, her teasing grin now gone. "If only you had seen the look on his face while he sat by the bed day and night. Only slightly less than an hour ago, Lady Arwen managed to convince him to go eat some breakfast. He likes you, My Lady"

Elerrina smiled deeply at the platinum haired elf in front of her. The sole mention of the elder twin made her heart fill with longing. She laughed lightly at the irony of the words that had just left Faelilla's mouth. He liked her. If only Faelilla knew…

"I like him too, Faelilla" She said softly, smiling broadly with the hidden meaning inside her words. "I like him very much" The platinum haired maiden only smiled broadly in return, at a complete loss of what the words really meant to her.

"Are you hungry, My Lady?" She asked, changing the subject of the conversation. Elerrina nodded her head softly in response, only now realizing how hungry she was. The thought of eating had not crossed her head yet.

"I will bring you some breakfast" Faelilla said with her smile still on her face as she turned and gracefully moved towards the door.

However, the door opened gently before the platinum haired maiden had reached it. She felt her insides fill with warmth as Elladan's tall figure entered into the room, his long raven hair unbraided and falling freely over his shoulders and back. A gorgeous smile appeared on lips as his silver eyes met hers, and suddenly she no longer had eyes for Faelilla or anything else other than the Son of Elrond, as she watched him rush to her side.

"Rina" he breathed out as he sat on the edge of the bed, gently taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go and using the same hand to caress her forehead. She remained silent, smiling and lost in his deep eyes as his gentle fingers slowly slid through her hair and his palm came to rest at the side of her face, his thumb softly tracing the end of her left eyebrow.

She heard Faelilla reaching the door, and threw one last look at the maiden, who gave her one last smirk before closing the door behind her. She turned her eyes back to Elladan, who was still smiling widely, and let her hand reach up to rest over his, at her left cheek.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly, the sound of his voice making her smile widen.

"I am good" was her simple answer, her eyes sparkling when his smile turned into a wide grin. Without another word, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

He pulled away and she simply watched him, her eyes not able to depart from his, completely welcomed in his silver endless eyes, her spirit feeling his through their bond. His eyes spoke louder than words, and she felt like she no longer needed words to communicate with him, to know his thoughts, his feelings, as long as he let her. Her eyes traveled down to his left hand, and noticed he was holding what looked like a honey cake.

"What are you hiding there?" she asked as her eyes pointed him in the direction of the cake in his hand. His eyes sparkled with their characteristic mischief and his grin expanded as he lifted the cake into view.

"You stole that from the kitchens?" she asked with a light laugh as her eyes glowed with delight at the sight of the treat.

"Perhaps" he answered, and yet his eyes held the delighted glint of guilt. She opened her mouth, silently asking for a bite of the honey treat, but he pulled the cake away, his silver eyes looking at her as if she had gone insane.

"Can I not have a bite?" she complained, unable to retain a chuckle at the look on his face.

"No" he answered simply, as if it was the most obvious answer, still holding the cake away from her with a stretched arm.

"Elladan! How egoist!" she exclaimed, still chuckling lightly. He simply grinned at her words as if he did not care about the insult.

"So? I worked hard to get this cake, Rina" she glared at his vague excuse, his silver eyes looking at her mischievously, piercing her as they reflected his grin.

"Worked hard?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow "Sneaking into the kitchen and stealing the cake is hard work?" If so, his grin only stretched wider as he leaned his face close to hers.

"You try sneaking into the kitchens" he defended himself in a low whisper, his eyes looking deeply into hers, sparkling, as his lips brushed hers lightly, making shivers run down her spine.

"I would have stolen two. You only got one" she whispered in return, closing the small gap between their lips in a quick kiss. He laughed at her words, accepting his defeat.

"Fine. You can have a bite" he complied, still grinning widely as he gently moved the cake towards her mouth. "Tiny!" he warned before placing the treat right in front of her lips.

Elerrina opened her mouth and took a bite that was everything but tiny, eating off nearly half of the small treat, delighted at the sweet flavor.

"Rina!" came the expected complain, almost making her choke at the sight of his wide eyes and his mouth hanging open in a pout. His silver eyes looked at the half of the cake left in his hand, and then turned again to meet hers, his mouth still lightly hanging open. He looked like a small elfling.

"You can have it all" he said with a sigh as he handed her the remains of the honey cake in defeat, his expression like that of a child who has been asked to give away his favorite toy. She could not help but smile at him, and at the same time feel slightly guilty.

"I am sorry" she said with a light laugh "You still have half of it." She added, trying for it to sound like a small consolation.

Elladan turned his eyes to face her once again, the silver irises staring deeply into hers, lovingly, as he smiled softly, his free hand reaching to rest on her cheek once more.

"You can have the cake, Rina. I will even get you another one, if you want. I stopped wanting it the moment you wanted it" His eyes stared at her, transparent with honesty, and she was sure the look in her eyes held the same loving look than did his. She smiled at him, lost in his eyes, as she happily accepted the remains of the cake.

She then attempted to sit up, but a sudden pain exploded through her right arm the moment she put pressure on it, making her hiss sharply, either in pain or surprise, she did not know. She sank back down into the pillows as her left hand instinctively flew to her right elbow, pressing the bent arm close to her body. For the first time, she noticed that her arm was wrapped in bandages, keeping it bent.

"Easy" said Elladan softly as his hand gently brushed her cheek, his eyes looking pained as he stared at her. Slowly, he helped her up into a sitting position, her left hand still firmly grabbing her right arm.

"Your elbow was dislocated" He explained, his voice edged with sadness and pain, and his eyes were haunted by a gleam of guilt. Flashes of the flight from the riders came back to her mind, and she remembered the sudden pain bursting in her arm when she hit a low branch, but the adrenaline and fear had blocked it away at that moment.

"May I?" He asked softly, and she let go of her arm, allowing him to take a look at the wounded limb.

Gently, he grabbed her arm in his hands, unwrapping the bandage from around it with extreme carefulness. She watched in silence as the slightly swelled and heavily bruised elbow came into view, the pain from before once again dulled down until she could no longer feel it. His fingers traveled over the bruised area, pressing around the elbow with extreme tenderness. She flinched lightly when his light touch came in contact with a sensitive spot and he pulled away, giving her an apologetic smile. He then moved one of his hands to her wrist and gently, slowly, started to stretch her arm from its bent form, his eyes turning to look at her every half a second, waiting for her to indicate him when to stop.

The arm stretched about half of the way before a sting of pain made her gasp. Instantly he stopped and gently bent her arm again, carefully bandaging it back the way it had been previously. After he was done, his hands slid from her arm to her hand, caressing it softly with his thumb before placing a tender kiss on it, his sad eyes looking into hers.

"It is healing well." He said with a sad smile "It will heal quicker than I thought" She nodded her head in response, offering him a reassuring smile.

"Are you in pain?" he asked with a soothing voice, his silver eyes worried.

"No" she answered softly, smiling lightly at him to ease his worry. She did not feel any pain at all. "It does not pain me in the slightest" He nodded his head in response, offering her another sad smile, his eyes still pained and deeply concerned.

"Let me know if it does" he whispered softly as his hand gently placed a strand of her golden hair behind her ear.

"It will not" she said confidently and Elladan smiled widely at her as he shook his head.

"I am sure Adar will want to see the injury as well. Perhaps he can do more" She looked up at him at the mention of the Elf-Lord, many questions popping suddenly into her mind.

"Is he awake?" the image of the Lord of Imladris staring at her from Glorfindel's horse at the other side of the river flashed through her mind. Had the sudden rise of the river been his doing?

"I believe he is asleep at the moment, but yes, he is no longer unconscious, if that is your question" She could see him smiling as he spoke, his eyes glowing with content. She wanted to ask if the Elf-Lord remembered his sons, if he recognized anybody, but did not know how to voice the question. She opened her mouth, but closed it again, unsure to ask for fear of what the answer might be, and obtaining only a chuckle from Elladan.

"He is completely aware of where he is, as well as for the elves who have been to see him. He recognizes all of us without trouble…well I do not think he was sure whether I was Elladan or Elrohir, and did not truly believe us when we told him which was which. He only half-believed it when Glorfindel told him, but that is alright, I accept that margin of error at the moment, he is still recovering"

Elerrina laughed at his explanation. She also would not trust the twins to tell the truth about which twin was which. She saw his eyes sparkling with their natural glow and his smile remained wide on his face, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. She could not help but smile broadly at his joy. She loved him.

"Good thing you allow that margin of error. Who could ever confuse the two of you?" She added sarcastically and he chuckled in return before she continued.

"So, there is no damage from head wound?" She remembered clearly the nasty looking wound over the Elf-Lord's right eyebrow, bruised and covered in dried blood, as well as the disoriented look in his grey eyes as he looked confusedly at his son's face.

"No. It seems he was only confused and not completely awake back in the forest. There is no damage from wound, only a slipping headache" He laughed lightly and she joined in his musical laughter. "I had to whisper incredibly lowly to speak to him. I accidentally raised my voice slightly and he tried to hit me! Can you believe that?!" he added still chuckling.

"Of course I can." She laughed "I would also hit you if I had a headache and you were being loud!" She could not picture Lord Elrond trying to hit his son, and deeply suspected that Elladan had probably received numerous kind requests to lower his voice before receiving a hit.

His sweet laughter echoed in the room in response to her words, and then he simply stared at her. His silver eyes inviting her to free fall into their endless depths, unable to pull away as he smiled softly at her. Then, he leaned in a pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Thank you" He said, his voice now deep and honest, all traces of playfulness gone "I do not completely know what happened out there, but I know part of it was your doing, so thank you"

She simply smiled in return, her mind flowing with images from the run through the forest, new questions bursting into her thoughts. She could feel Vilya still hanging from her neck, now silent and peaceful, and dreaded the conversations that were yet to come. She was not completely sure of what had happened, but was only sure of what thing: she had used the ring, it had responded to her.

Elladan continued to stare into her eyes, and she could see the same questions reflected in his liquid silver irises. Neither of them knew what the consequences of that dark encounter with the riders would bring. Suddenly, the door opened again and the younger twin entered into the room, smiling widely when his eyes met hers.

"Elerrina!" he said as he sat next to his twin at the edge of the bed, his kind eyes looking at her. She smiled at Elrohir in return, he was so easy to like.

"Good to see you awake" He said softly, his grin mirroring that of his elder brother. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked in his sweet, kind voice.

"Good" he said when she nodded her head in response. Then his eyes turned to look at his twin, then back at her, and then back at Elladan.

"Would you like me to leave you alone?" He asked teasingly as he threw a playful look to his twin brother, gaining only a gentle smack on the back of his head.

"No, of course you would not. Elerrina would never want me to leave and leave her to your mercy, right Rina?" She laughed at Elrohir's words, an immense joy growing in her chest at his playful tone, his once again kind eyes, the silent, cold and hard look on them completely disappeared, leaving no traces that it had ever been there.

"Right, Elrohir" she answered smiling widely as Elladan raised an eyebrow at her. However, the younger twin proceeded to speak again before Elladan could add anything.

"Dan, Ada just awoke. Arwen and Glorindel are with him, and they asked me to get you." Elrohir's voice was once again soft and peaceful as his silver eyes looked deeply into an identical pair, both mirror images smiling lightly. Then Elrohir's eyes turned to her as he added, "He would also like to see you, Elerrina"


	36. Change in the Wind

Nerves wracked her body as she silently followed the twins around the labyrinth of hallways and pointed arches of the house. For the first time, the house did not seem big enough for their walk to stretch a little longer. Every step she took came too soon after the previous one, leading her to the moment she had been dreading.

Both of the twins were smiling, their silver eyes sparkling with light as they walked to see their father, Elladan holding her hand in his. She felt him gently give her hand a comforting squeeze, and she knew that he could feel her nervousness and hesitation. There were so many things to discuss, so many unanswered questions…

Images of the Elf-Lord dragging her through the long corridors, a sword in hand as the nasty creatures jumped at them from left and right kept flashing through her mind. She saw the dark room, remembered stumbling on pieces of furniture; the piercing silver eyes looking intently into hers as slender fingers handed her the blue-stoned ring; the sad, pained look on the Elf-Lords face as he foresaw the purpose and outcome of the sudden attack; the instructions to search in the drawer that contained the letters that revealed her true inheritance…

The twins led her up an elegant staircase, the golden light tracing defined lines through the air as the rays of the sun entered freely through the tall windows. The details on the windowpane laced fine, delicate shades on the floors as they ascended to parts of the house in which she had never been before, but she was not really aware of her surroundings.

He had known all along. Lord Elrond had known who she was, had known her name was really Almarëa, ever since the moment she stepped into the house that first night she arrived. What else did he know about her? Part of her wanted to find out the truth; find about the parts of the story that had been left out of the letters; find out the reasons why she had been left to become Elerrina; the reasons why her own father chose to hide her behind that surreal identity. And yet, part of her was scared to hear the truth. One again, she felt as if her life had been a lie as both Elerrina and Alamarëa felt unreal to her, strangers she had never met: both were her names, but neither was who she had really been.

And then, there was still the ring, Vilya, hanging from the thin silver chain around her neck, the faint blue glow dancing dully inside the bright blue stone as its low murmurs twirled in the breeze. She remembered feeling the ring nearly possessing her, her mind joining with it until she felt they were the same, its power flowing through her veins like a burning fire, and she did not know what was happening, why was it happening, or how was it happening…but it felt natural, unforced…

Her trail of thought was suddenly cut when the twins stopped their march in front of a large, exquisitely carved wooden door, and she felt her heart accelerate with nerves and hesitation as she realized where they were. She did not know why, but she had expected to go to the familiar study, and now realized that the twins had been leading her to the Elf-Lord's private chambers. Elrohir softly opened the door and stepped into the room, looking incredibly comfortable and confident in the familiar surroundings. Elladan followed closely behind, almost dragging her by the hand, as he too felt more than comfortable in that space. Elerrina felt like an elfling who was about to invade the room for the grown-ups as she stepped inside the chamber, close beside Elladan.

Bright light washed the elegant interiors of the large room, dancing through the golden leaves of the trees outside the overly large balcony at the far north face. Suddenly every other chamber she had ever seen seemed small and plain, as she herself felt small under the delicate, thin columns that stretched to support the pointed arches of the structure, seeming to float, too frail to support any weight. The chamber itself carried an aura of peace as the silvery blue shade of the heavy curtains mixed with the tranquil heavens outside.

Lord Elrond lay on the large bed in the center of the room, resting back on several pillows placed against the finely crafted headboard. He looked so different outside of his formal robes, his long dark hair cascading freely over his shoulders and back, framing the defined features of a face so similar to the twins. He was wearing a clean, sleeping white tunic in the finest and lightest silk she had ever seen, the delicate silver patterns on the neckline matching the silvery blue color of the soft bed covers that were pulled up to his waist.

And yet, she could still feel the powerful, regal aura that seemed to surround him, as he appeared every inch the mighty Elf-Lord he was. A white bandage covered the head wound on the space between his right eyebrow and hairline, and his right arm was completely bandaged in a bent position, securely resting over his torso.

Arwen sat at the edge of the bed with a joyful smile on her lips as her sweet, song-like voice narrated soft words in elvish. The Elf-Lord's kind eyes were fixed on his daughter as she spoke, his grey irises glowing with love and pride, a soft smile on his lips. She recognized the healer, Slemear who stood behind the elven Lady, his fingers placed around the Elf-Lord's left wrist, checking his pulse. Another blond elf she had never seen moved around the room, mixing some herbs in a steaming mug.

The Elf-Lord's eyes turned in their direction when he heard them enter, first looking at each one of his sons before the silver gaze turned in her direction. Wise silver eyes pierced deeply into her green ones, almost as if he could look past her eyes and directly into her soul, her mind, her very self. The stare was unreadable, simply endless pools of silver that absorbed her with the knowledge of many millennia. She wanted to look away, but could not move as she silently stared back, frozen. She felt as if she was once again on the elegant study on the first night she had seen Vilya upon his hand.

However, the piercing stare only lasted a second before his eyes softened again, his face the perfectly composed expression that betrayed no thought past his kind grey eyes. The soft smile was still present on his lips as his eyes once again travelled to the twins, looking from one to the other.

"Good morning, my sons, Elerrina" His silver eyes moved from each of the twins to her as he greeted them with a smile. As his eyes fell on hers she felt once again trapped in the piercing stare.

"Good morning to you too, Ada" the twins said in unison.

Both of the twins were grinning widely and she simply smiled in return and slightly nodded her head. She felt incredibly unsure of how to act, of what to do or say as she felt she was invading a private family reunion.

With his characteristic mischievous grin on his face, Elrohir made his way towards the bed, comfortably throwing himself next to his father and leaning against the fine headboard as he stretched his legs over the silvery blue covers.

"Everything seems fine, My Lord. Is there anything else we can do for you?" Selemar's voice echoed inside the room as his skilled fingers let go of the Elf-Lord's left wrist. The Lord of Imladris turned his gaze towards the blond healer, seeming to suddenly remember his presence in the room.

"Thank you, Selemar" Lord Elrond replied politely in his kind voice as he nodded his head slightly in the direction of the blond elf. The other healer gently placed the steaming mug on the elegant bedside table before coming to stand beside the master healer.

"Let me know if you feel any discomfort, My Lord" Said Selemar as both bold elves made a small bow before heading towards the door. The soft clicking sound of the door closing behind the two healers echoed loudly in her ears, trapping her in the long wait for the conversations she knew were soon to come.

She let her eyes travel around the room and she spotted Glorfindel, sitting comfortably on an elegant chair to one corner of the room, not really involved in the scene and at the same time, his soft blue eyes carefully assessed everything, always watching over his lord and friend. She also recognized the Elf-Lord's chief advisor, Erestor, sitting next to Glorfindel.

She felt a new feeling of heavy sadness sink her heart as her eyes fell on a delicately crafted vanity. The large mirror echoed the golden light through the room, shimmering with the reflection of the various pieces of jewelry that lay upon the polished wooden surface. She could see small sapphires, emeralds and pearls sewn in delicate silver chains of necklaces and bracelets upon the blue velvet interiors of an open silver jewelry box, some even partially hanging from its sides.

A beautiful silver hairpin rested alone in the center of the table, the pearl in its end glowing dully at the bright light, casting strange shapes upon the delicate silver petals that opened in the shape of a flower around it. Everything looked untouched, rooted to tis place as if the cruel passing of time had made the items a part of the vanity; the beautiful pieces of jewelry looking as if they had remained in the same place where some hand had long ago forgotten them.

"My sons?" she heard Elrohir asking with a teasing voice as her eyes turned once again towards the bed, where the younger twin raised a questioning eyebrow to his father, his eyes sparkling with mischief and mockery. "Do you still not know which of your sons I am?"

Elladan walked towards the bed and she followed him, standing behind him as he sat at the edge of the soft mattress, at the opposite side from Arwen.

"Are you testing me, Elrohir?" Said Elrond as he looked directly into the younger twin's eyes, a victorious smile present on his lips. Elrohir's mischievous eyes suddenly widened in surprise and Arwen's laugh echoed inside the chamber. Elerrina could not help but smile broadly at the peaceful and joyful aura that floated in the air.

"Has your eyesight already cleared completely?" Asked Elladan in a soft voice as he smiled widely at the Elf-Lord.

"Yes." came Lord Elrond's answer, his eyes turning from his youngest to his eldest son. "And even if it had not, Elerrina, here, would have given you away." Both of the twins laughed lightly at the statement, the sound like the sweetest melody she had ever heard.

"Of course it would. Elladan would the one with the love struck face of a century old elfling." Added Elrorhir as his mocking silver eyes turned to look at his twin, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Besides, Elladan would be the one to have the courtesy of sitting on the bed and not comfortably getting in the bed like a century old elfling." Replied Lord Elrond as he turned to look at the younger twin with a raised eyebrow.

The words made Elladan explode in laughter as he stared at his brother with a victorious expression. She could not help but laugh along as Elrohir's eyes widened and his mouth opened in fake hurt. A smile grew wide on her lips at the normalcy of the scene, almost as if it were any regular day in the Valley.

"How do you feel, Ada?" asked Elrohir as his laughter died out and his voice returned to a soft gentle tone, almost a whisper. His large, concerned eyes turned to his father once more as Arwen tenderly took hold of his now freed left hand. Elerrina simply stood still, watching in silence as she once again felt she was invading some private family reunion.

"I feel fine, my son, worry not" Answered the Elf-Lord with a reassuring smile in the direction f the younger twin. Elrohir smiled in return although his eyes still looked at his father slightly concerned, and suddenly she had the impression that the Lord of Imladris would not admit to be feeling anything other than fine. She also noticed that Elrohir had remained perfectly still on the bed the entire time, as if he felt that moving round might disturb the elder elf.

"How is your head? Are you in pain?" Elladan's voice was also soft, filled with tenderness and concern as his endless silver eyes looked deeply at his father, so gentle and hinted with the lightest touch of sadness.

"No, Elladan" Came the Elf-Lord's reply and Elladan simply nodded his head lightly.

"I have some matters to attend now, Ada. I will come back later" said Arwen as she leaned forward a placed a light kiss on the Elf-Lord's forehead. Then, she rose from the bed a kissed each of the twins' cheeks before making her way towards the door, closing it behind her.

"Ada" Elladan's voice broke the silence that followed the soft clicking of the door as it close. His eyes were looking at his father intently, yet softly, the small smile on his face vanishing as he spoke. "What happened?"

Elrohir's eyes also turned to look at the Elf-Lord, the expression on his face an exact copy of that of his twin's. Lord Elrond's eyes turned to look in her direction, staring deeply at her, consuming her in their piercing yet kind gaze. She remained frozen under the intense stare, unable to move as her presence in the room seemed to be remembered.

"Thank you" he said in a low, clear voice, his eyes seeming to penetrate into her soul as the silver pair of wise eyes spoke the deepness of those two short words. She remained silent, unable to look away from the deep stare and simply nodded her head in return, unable to think of anything to say or do. She wished she could force her body to answer, even if only out of politeness, but could not succeed to do so.

Out the corner of her eyes, she could see Glorfindel staring attentively at the scene from afar, but she could not look away from the piercing gaze. There were so many things she wanted to ask, so many questions that she had previously prepared inside her mind, but no words were be able to come to her under the deep stare. She could see his eyes filled with knowledge, and at the same time did not let anything into view, did not betray any emotion or thought. So deep and transparent, filled with kindness, and yet as hard as wall, impossible to penetrate.

"Please sit down, Elerrina. There is no need for you remain standing" he said softly as he gestured to the empty place on the bed next to Elladan, where she was currently standing. Silently and hesitantly she sat down on over the soft covers and Elladan reached for her hand, gently giving it a squeeze.

Without being asked, she reached for the silver chain around her neck, untying it at the back and holding it her hands. She did not want to hold the ring for a second longer, did not want that responsibility. All the eyes in the room turned to look at the chain as the delicate golden band with the deep blue stone suddenly became visible. Vilya hung lifelessly from the chain, its usual glow completely vanishing as it waited to be once again joined with its master.

Lord Elrond's eyes turned to look at her, staring at her for a second before he extended his hand, silently receiving the ring from her stretched hand. She followed his hand as he slipped the exquisite jewel on his right hand's third finger. The golden band slipped in in a perfect fit, the ring instantly bursting into life, dimly glowing in a bright blue color, more powerful and alive than when she had held it.

She was surprised when she did not feel any different after parting from the ring. She did not know why, but she had half expected to feel a difference. And yet, she felt exactly the same, as if she had handed a regular jewelry item, and not the powerful blue-stoned ring.

"I owe you an apology, for leaving you such a burden without any warning" The Elf-Lord's eyes continued to pierce into hers as she simply shook her head, indicating that no apologies were needed.

"Where they looking for the ring, Ada?" Elrohir's voice made his father turn to look in his direction. "Where the orcs looking for the ring?"

"Yes, they were"

"But they came specifically to capture you. How did they know you have it?" Elladan pointed out in a whispered tone as the other two pairs of grey eyes turned in his direction.

"They did not" came the short reply. "I believe it was a guess, a test for which they needed confirmation." Both of the twins narrowed their eyes in confusion, all of them trying to put the pieces of the story together.

"And they got what they were looking for" The Elf-Lord's eyes turned once again to look at her, deep silver eyes staring deeply into hers.

"The Nazgul now think you have one of the rings"

The words echoed in the air like a death sentence, as she silently stared back, frozen. A sudden chill ran down her spine and, even though the air was warm, she felt cold. She saw Elladan close his eyes and a sudden expression of pain flashed his face, as if those were the words he had been dreading to hear. Elerrina, on the other hand, stayed still, as petrified as before as her fate suddenly seemed sealed, and she could not control it.

"You have remained too quiet, Elerrina. I know you have questions you whish to ask me." The Elf-Lord spoke softly as his silver eyes looked at her kindly, almost silently apologizing to her. The expression on his face was gentle, like that of a father who wishes to give council to his child, as he suddenly did not appear the mighty elven ruler he was.

"I do, My Lord" She was surprised that her voice sounded steady as she stared back into the wise grey eyes, unable to look away. Lord Elrond nodded his head in her direction, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Then, ask. I owe you all the answers I can provide"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kno it's been a while but here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!


	37. Every Passing Second

The words floated in the air as Elerrina remained still for some seconds. So many questions flew through her mind she did not know where to start. The deep grey gaze of the Elf-Lord was fixed on her, piercing into her own green eyes, waiting patiently. The twins had gone silent, exchanging looks every once in a while, their silver eyes seeming to speak without words.

"Who am I?" The words left her mouth in a steady, low voice, feeling strange to her, as if the body that pronounced them was detached from her. Lord Elrond's eyes never broke form hers, not even blinked as the question reached his ears.

"You read the letters" He said with a sigh, the words not a question but a statement. Elerrina silently nodded her head in confirmation as deep grey eyes remained fixed on hers.

"I can tell you what I know, but the only one who has the answer to that question is you." The Elf-Lord's grey eyes seemed to trap her, the soft words engraved in the endless orbs as they emphasized what was being spoken. She felt small, a child again, under the wise gaze.

Then everything around her seemed to vanish, as she felt as if she was falling into the depths of the stormy sea eyes, dragged into them with a force she could escape, but she did not try to. The room around her, the twins, Glorfindel, Erestor, disappeared as a new set of images materialized in front of her.

The bright afternoon light filled the elegant interiors of the familiar study. A vivid fire danced in the fireplace, its hot red flames contrasting against the pure white snow that covered the gardens outside the closed windowpanes. Lord Elrond sat by the fire, looking as regal as ever in rich blue formal robes, his gaze lost in the dancing flames.

Another figure waltzed into the room, a Lady. Flowing silver hair framed the beautiful features of her face, cascading down to her waist in gentle waves. A delicate silver band crowned her head, thin silver strands falling from its sides, lacing with some locks of her long hair. Elerrina was sure she had never seen an elf more beautiful in her life. Her weightless white dress swirled around her graceful steps as she approached the Elf-Lord, who seemed oblivious to her presence.

"Meleth?" the Lady said softly, the voice sounding like a sweet song that floated gently in the air.

The Elf-Lord suddenly looked up, his eyes finding the Lady's ice blue ones as a soft smile appeared on his lips. He stood up from the comfortable chair and placed a soft kiss upon the Lady's cheek before walking back to the large oak desk.

"What is on your mind?" asked the Lady as The Lord of Imladris leaned over the desk, his back to her.

"A letter arrived from Mirkwood. Thranduil has a new daughter. They named her Almarëa." He said as he turned around to face the beautiful Lady once more, a soft smile on his face.

"That is wonderful!" came the reply from the Lady as she circled her arms around him, her eyes looking up to his. "Did you send the silver rattle I picked?"

"I did" he said with a light chuckle as he also wrapped his arms around the Lady's small body. "He sends his thanks. It seems the baby loves it already."

A gorgeous smile illuminated the Lady's face for a moment before it disappeared as her soft ice blue eyes stared into the Elf-Lord's grey pair.

"What worries you?" she asked in a low voice and Lord Elrond sighed before answering.

"There is something about the elfling, I just do not know what it is. There is some sort of powerful magic about her. I fear it cannot end well." The Lady tilted her head to the side as she stared back at the dark haired elf, her eyes slightly hinted with confusion.

"Thranduil himself possesses old powerful magic in him, Meleth. It should not be surprising that one of his children has inherited such qualities." She said, as if she did not really understand the reason to worry.

"I know." Said the Elf-Lord as he flashed a gentle smile in her direction. "But it is not the same magic that this child carries. It is not old elven magic, not the kind that Thranduil possesses." The Lady's eyes narrowed further in confusion as a worried expression crossed her face

" How do you know? Can you sense her powers, Elrond?" The Lord of Imladris closed his eyes for a moment as a sad expression haunted his ageless face. When he opened them again they were darker, holding the slightest touch of dread.

"No. But Vilya can."

The images shifted as the figures vanished into thin air.

The elegant study looked darker now as night stretched above the sleeping trees outside, its leaf covered branches swaying faintly at the soft breeze. A dying fire lighted the room, its weak flames making the shadows stretch long and thin over every surface. It must have been late.

"So it is Thranduil's intention to hide the elfling here in the Valley?"

Glorfindel's strong voice echoed around the dimly lit study. Lord Elrond's eyes traveled to meet the soft blue gaze of his Seneschal just as Erestor sighed and placed the parchment holding the message back on the table at which the three elves sat.

"That is our accord, yes" Said the Elf-Lord absently, his voice as commanding as ever, but his eyes seemed lost in his thoughts. The other two elves remained silent, patiently staring at their lord.

Letting out a sigh, Lord Elrond tiredly rose from his chair and slowly walked towards the large balcony overlooking the Valley below. Slender fingers gripped the delicate railing as he leaned heavily on it, head bent down. For a moment he stood deathly still under the dark blue sky, hunched above his sleeping realm.

Glorfindel was the first to follow, silently walking to stand next to the tall Elf-Lord, who did not look up to meet his eyes, Erestor close behind him.

"My Lord?" asked the golden haired warrior in a calmed voice as his soft blue eyes pierced the Half-Elf, watchful.

"The nine have left Mordor. They roam around the lands, searching for the rings. Sauron slowly becomes stronger; the eye is fixed on Imladris. He wants the three, Glorfindel" Silver eyes lifted to meet a soft blue pair, locking in a prolonged stare.

"Times are difficult in Mirkwood. The number of orcs wondering in the forest increases with each day. There is no assurance of the girl's safety in those lands." Lord Elrond spoke lowly, his deep grey eyes still locked with Glorfindel's.

"The girl is a threat" Added the Balrog Slayer as his eyes burned into the Elf-Lord's, almost angrily. "The power she carries is dangerous, Elrond. You worry that Vilya can sense the girl, what makes you think that bringing her closer to the ring is safe? We do not know if she can sense the ring in the same way the ring can her"

"It is not safe." Erestor said from behind Glrofindel as his deep blue eyes darted from his lord to the Balrog Slayer. "But it is safer than if the child remains in Mirkwood. If Vilya can sense the girl, what makes us think the other rings cannot? If Sauron is looking for the three then he will look in elven lands, what if he finds the girl? Such a strong power is hard to overlook without sensing it."

"But what if she gives you away? We do not know why is it that Vilya can sense the elfling, but if she can indeed connect to the ring she could fall into the eye's view. She could be seen. You could be seen." Argued Glorfindel in return, his eyes digging holes into the Elf-Lord's silver ones.

"We do not know if she can sense the ring." Stated Lord Elrond sternly, his eyes defiant, his voice carrying a power and command that very few would dare to argue against. "I can hide the girl in Imladris. The eye cannot see into the Valley, not with the power of Vilya protecting it. It is a risk, but it is less of a risk than the youngling staying in her lands."

"The girl is dangerous" muttered Glrofindel, his eyes wary.

"She is only an elfling" breathed the Elf-Lord, his deep silver eyes pained, compassionate as he looked back at his Seneschal.

"I still believe it is dangerous, Elrond. The girl cannot stay here." Silver eyes turned sharply towards the golden haired warrior, powerful and mighty.

"I was under the impression that Elrond Half-Elven was the Lord of this Valley, and not Glorfindel." He said in a commanding voice as he rose tall, meeting the Balrog Slayer at eye level, looking every inch the mighty elven ruler he was. A moment of tension passed between the two while silver and blue eyes burned into each other.

"I apologize, My Lord. It seems I forgot my place" Said finally Glorfindel as he bowed deeply in front of the Elf-Lord, his voice cold. Then he straightened back up and silently left the room, uninterested in hearing the rest of the argument.

The door closed loudly behind the Balrog Slayer and Lord Elrond let out a tired sigh as he leaned heavily once again over the railing, eyes looking down. Erestor remained still, his body facing towards the Elf-Lord as he silently watched for a moment.

"My Lord?" Erestor's soft voice echoed loudly in the tranquility of the night as the Lord of Imladris lifted his eyes to meet his Chief Advisor. "What has made Thranduil suddenly fear for the child's safety? There is no way for him to know the ring can sense the child's powers. He does not know you were entrusted one of the three. And yet, he knows the child's magic is far different from his. Surely something must have happened that has made him realize this?"

Before she could hear the answer, the images vanished; the peaceful night lit balcony morphing into an ample terrace.

The silver haired Lady sat on a long couch with her feet tucked beneath her. Elerrina could see her back as the Lady stared off into the blossomed gardens before her. The familiar silver pin with a pearl at its end held back a strand of long hair, almost seeming to merge in the silvery color of her locks.

"Almarëa lives" Lord Elrond's voice made the Lady turn her head around to look at her husband. Her large ice blue eyes, so much like Arwen's, were now dulled with grief. The Lady silently nodded her head and her sad eyes followed the Elf-Lord as he sat down next to her.

"Will you tell Thranduil?" She asked in a barely audible voice as her eyes easily found Lord Elrond's.

"I cannot tell him without revealing that I bear one of the rings" Once again, the Lady nodded her head before directing her gaze back at the gardens ahead.

"Do you know where she is?"

"No" Was the short answer. The Lady simply moved closer to the Elf-Lord, leaning her head on his shoulder as her long strands of silver hair cascaded over his opaque violet robes.

The figures shifted once again as the scene transformed into a different time and space.

The veil of night covered the sky above the tall branches of the trees. She could see many tiny houses spread over the landscape in a disarranged manner, the tiny windows shimmering with the yellowish light of fires inside. It was the village in which she had grown up; she would recognize such view anywhere.

A lone figure walked silently between the houses, the pale moonlight caressing the long dark cloak, embroidered in thin silver thread at the bottom. She could not see the figure's face, and yet, she already knew who it was.

The tall figure stopped in front of a small wooden door so familiar to her and softly knocked. A swirl of emotions ran through her distant body as the door opened to reveal the familiar, warm face of a woman. Naeraviel's dark brown eyes widened suddenly as they fell on the regal hooded figure that stood in front of her and Elerrina could see recognition written in those large dark irises.

She wished she could speak, wished she could say one last word to the woman who stood in front of her, and yet, knew that it was simply a memory, that Naeraviel was not really there, and that she could not see her.

Her adoptive mother stepped aside, opening the door wider to allow the visitor to enter the humble piece. The incredibly familiar and cozy room appeared into view before her eyes, the warm flames of a fire lighting the interiors in various shades of oranges and yellows. The figure stopped for a moment once inside the room, the head turned in the direction of the small, round table at one corner of the room, the dark cloak still hiding every face feature.

And then, she saw herself. She was young. Her golden hair fell loosely around her face, and in her human-styled dress she could easily be mistaken for a seven or eight-year-old human child. She was standing still, her large, innocent green eyes staring at the strange visitor that now stood inside her home, her tiny hands placed over a large book over the table. Naeraviel closed the door behind the visitor as she turned around and directed her attention to the young elfling standing before her.

"Elerrina, go upstairs. I will go read you a story in a while."

The golden haired elfling nodded her head in silence before grabbing the book with both of her tiny hands and obediently heading towards the small stairs that lead to the second story. Before disappearing from view, the elfling turned her head one last time, her eyes regarding the tall cloaked figure for a second before her light footsteps reached the top of the stairs, gone from the room.

The two occupants were now left alone in the small warm room, silent for a moment until the faint, distant sound of a door closing in the upper floor echoed through the house.

"My Lord Elrond" said Naeraviel with a gentle bow as she respectfully greeted her guest in the proper manner. "Please make yourself comfortable"

The tall figure reached his hands to the hood of the long cloak, revealing the fine features of his pale face. His long dark hair was neatly braided and the formal silver circlet shone resting atop his head. He looked even more regal now in contrast to the humble woman that occupied the room.

The Elf-Lord nodded his head politely at the woman as his wise grey eyes looked at her kindly. Then, he made his way towards the small table and sat down on one of the plain chairs, indicating with a hand for Naeraviel to take the seat across from him. Silently, the woman did as indicated, looking slightly nervous and intimidated in the presence of the well-known elven lord. And yet, Elerrina knew that such a presence was not new to Naeraviel. She had immediately recognized the Elf-Lord at her door. She had met him before.

"Can I offer you anything, My Lord? Tea? Water?" she asked in a nervous voice and the Elf-Lord simply smiled softly in return, easing some of the woman's nerves.

"Tea would be fine" He said in a polite, calmed voice as his kind grey eyes looked at the woman patiently.

Naeraviel disappeared into the small kitchen, and some minutes later returned holding two identical steaming cups in her hands. Carefully, she placed one on the table in front of the elven lord and kept the other firmly in her hand as she lowered herself to her seat.

"Have you come to take her from me?" Her voice broke the silence, whispered, filled with fear as her eyes stared at the Elf-Lord, pleading.

"No" was the reassuring answer as the Lord of Rivendell shook his head slightly. Naeraviel seemed to relax a bit at the short word she had been expecting to hear.

"I know who she is, My Lord." Added Naeraviel in a low voice "The Elven King himself came some months ago. He said not to reveal her identity, to her or to anyone. He wanted for her to pass for a human child at the eyes of strangers. Why is that, My Lord?"

"The king has his reasons" explained the Elf-Lord, expertly evading the question. Naeraviel simply nodded her head as slight look of embarrassment crossed her face, feeling that she had questioned more than she should have.

"I agreed to his petition of hiding the child. He asked me to keep her away from her kin, to not waken her curiosity and desire to know about her bloodline."

"Good" said Lord Elrond with a gentle nod of his head. "That is precisely what I came to ask as well. The child is blessed in ways that I cannot share with you. You can give her the childhood that she would probably have otherwise been deprived of. We thought she was dead, and it will be best for it to remain that way."

"But what will happen once she is grown? The king agreed for the girl to stay with me until she was grown. Will he take her from me then? I know I am not her mother, and I know that she has a living family, but please do not take her from me, My Lord. I raised her as my own, I love her as my own." Naeraviel's desperate plea made her heart fill with grief. What would she give to see the woman one last time. The Elf-Lord closed his eyes for a moment as a sad expression appeared on his face.

"I know you do, Naeraviel. We will see when the time comes" Was the simple answer, but it was not enough to calm the saddened woman.

"I know he will take her from me." She whispered in an almost broken voice as her eyes looked down at the table. "I know he does not want to give her away. I saw it on his eyes when he saw her. I was scared he might change his mind at that moment and take her with him immediately, robbing me of the few years left of her childhood."

"It will be more than a few years. Elves reach their majority later than men." Said Lord Elrond reassuringly at the woman in front of him. "Did Thranduil see his daughter, then?"

"Yes" answered Naeraviel as he large brown eyes turned back up to meet the Elf-Lord's kind silver gaze. "She was asleep, so he agreed to see her. He did not want her to see him." Lord Elrond simply nodded his head in return as the woman's eyes fell once again on the table.

"Naeraviel" started the Elf-Lord again, his eyes staring deeply into the woman's. "Rivendell is only at a three day distance from here, as I am sure you know. Elves often travel these woods in their journeys from a to other realms. I shall not send any party or patrol close to this area, but I have no reason to indicate thus to elves from other realms. They do not know of the child's existence and it should remain that way for the moment. Do not let her wonder beyond the river. I can guarantee that no elf will run her path if she stays on this side of the river. Also, the river marks the limit of my power's reach. I cannot protect her if she goes beyond it. You and I both know that this village is not under my rule, and thus it is not up to me to intervene in any matter, good or bad, that befalls it. But the elfling is a separate case. I can only protect her if she stays inside the borders of my reach."

Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the figures faded into complete darkness, the last words of the Elf-Lord still echoing faintly inside her mind as the brightly lit bedchamber returned to her view.

Elerrina was once again inside her own body, sitting still over the silvery blue covers of the large bed. Elladan sat at her side, his presence next to her making her feel at peace. Elrohir remained stretched on the bed, his eyes glued to his father.

So many things raced through her mind that she could not grab a concrete thought. So many parts of the story had been put into place. So many arrangements, her life perfectly choreographed. And yet, so many new questions, so many new things she wanted to know. So many things had been done to hide her, but what would happen now? She was no longer hiding. Her identity had been revealed. And lastly, the Nazgul thought she had the ring.

Lord Elrond lay still on the bed, exactly as he had before the visions of his memories had invaded her mind. His kind silver eyes were fixed on hers, staring deeply into her green ones, and, for the first time, he did not seem as an Elf-Lord she had only recently met. He had known her almost all of her life. He had watched out for her from afar. And yet, there was something different in the depths of the stormy grey eyes, something that only appeared after his memories had been shared with her. She did not know what it was, a strange mixture of pain and sadness with worry and dread. A new feeling took hold of her as she suddenly understood in the depths of the silver gaze that things would not be the same for her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! :) Here I leave you another little fragment of my imagination. I hope you enjoy it!


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